


Northern lights

by GoldenBHytes



Category: RuPaul's Drag Race RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/F, Lesbian Character, Twilight References, Vampires
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-12
Updated: 2020-09-04
Packaged: 2021-03-06 06:14:22
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 30,338
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25868776
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GoldenBHytes/pseuds/GoldenBHytes
Summary: First love can be the most dangerous ...When Vanessa Mateo moves into Prince Rupert her life takes an exciting and terrifying turn once she meets the mysterious and seductive Brooke Lynn Hytes. Now she is torn between her instincts and the satisfaction of her desires.
Relationships: Brooke Lynn Hytes/Vanessa Vanjie Mateo
Comments: 48
Kudos: 27





	1. First Sight

**Author's Note:**

> This is basically twilight seeing from my eyes. I hope y'all enjoy it as much as I did not LOL. English isn't my first language so this have been a struggle.   
> TYSM to Vanjiebitchh! for being the best beta and help me sort the ideas of my crazy mind. You're the best girl.

My mother drove me to the airport with the windows rolled down. It was seventy-five degrees in Los Angeles, the sky a perfect, cloudless blue. I was wearing my favorite shirt — sleeveless; I was wearing it as a farewell gesture. My carry-on item was a parka. 

In the province of British Columbia Canada a small town named Prince Rupert exists under a near-constant cover of clouds. It rains on this inconsequential town more than any other place in the country. It was from this town and its gloomy, omnipresent shade that my mother escaped with me when I was only a few months old. It was in this town that I'd been compelled to spend a month every summer until I was fourteen. That was the year I finally put my foot down; these past three summers, my momma, Alexis, vacationed with me in California for two weeks instead. 

It was to Prince Rupert that I now exiled myself— an action that I took with great horror. I detested PB. I loved LA . I loved the sun and the blistering heat. I loved the vigorous, sprawling city. 

"Nessa," my mom said to me — the last of a thousand times — before I got on the plane. "You don't have to do this." 

My mom Anabell looks like me, except with long hair and laugh lines. I felt a spasm of panic as I stared at her wide, childlike eyes. How could I leave my loving, erratic, harebrained mother to fend for herself ? Of course she had John now, so the bills would probably get paid, there would be food in the refrigerator, gas in her car, and someone to call when she got lost, but still… 

"I  _ want _ to go," I lied. I'd always been a bad liar, but I'd been saying this lie so frequently lately that it sounded almost convincing now. 

"Tell Alexis I said hi." 

"I will." 

"I'll see you soon," she insisted. "You can come home whenever you want — I'll come right back as soon as you need me." 

But I could see the sacrifice in her eyes behind the promise. 

"Don't worry about me," I urged. "It'll be great. I love you, Mom."

She hugged me tightly for a minute, and then I got on the plane. I glanced over my shoulder one last time only to see she was gone.

It's a four-hour flight from LA to Vancouver , another hour in a small plane up to Prince Rupert and then an hour drive back down to Alexis's place. Flying doesn't bother me; the hour in the car with Alexis, though, I was a little worried about. 

Alexis had really been fairly nice about the whole thing. She seemed genuinely pleased that I was coming to live with her for the first time with any degree of permanence. She'd already gotten me registered for high school and was going to help me get a car. 

But it was sure to be awkward with Alexis. She was the typical overprotective Latina mom and that was stifling sometimes. I knew she was more than a little confused by my decision — like my mom Anabell before me, I hadn't made a secret of my distaste for Prince Rupert. When I landed, it was raining. I didn't see it as an omen — just unavoidable. I'd already said my goodbyes to the sun. 

Alexis was waiting for me in the airport with balloons and a big sign with my name on and I smiled at the gesture. My primary motivation behind buying a car, despite the scarcity of my funds, was that I didn't want to be a burden for Alexis. She owned the only beauty salon in town and she worked from dawn to dusk as Prince Rupert's women loved her and she was busy all day. walking the long distances of the town under the cold, snow and rain, though, did not seem like the most pleasant thing in the world. 

Alexis gave me a long hug, holding me tight against her chest, almost choking me in the process.

"It's good to see you, Ness," she said, smiling as she automatically caught and steadied me. "You haven't changed much. How's Bell?" 

"Mom's fine. It's good to see you, too, Momma." I wasn't allowed to call her Alexis to her face. 

I had only a few bags. Most of my LA clothes were too permeable and light for Canada. My mom and I had pooled our resources to supplement my winter wardrobe, but it was still scanty. 

"I found a good car for you, really cheap," she announced when we were strapped in. 

"What kind of car?" I was suspicious of the way she said "good car for you" as opposed to just "good car." 

"Well, it's a truck actually, a Chevy." 

"Where did you find it?" 

"Do you remember Eureka down at Rushbrook Trail?" Rushbrook Trail was one of the few access points to Prince Rupert waterfront. 

"No." 

"She and her daughter used to go fishing with us during the summer," Alexis prompted. That would explain why I didn't remember her. I do a good job of blocking painful, unnecessary things from my memory.

"She's in a wheelchair now," Alexis continued when I didn't respond, "so she can't drive anymore, and she offered to sell me her truck cheap." 

"What year is it?" I could see from her change of expression that this was the question she was hoping I wouldn't ask. 

"Well, Eureka's husband did a lot of work on the engine — it's only a few years old, really." 

I hoped she didn't think so little of me as to believe I would give up that easily. "When did she buy it?" 

"She bought it in 1984, I think." 

"Did she buy it new?" 

"Well, no. I think it was new in the early sixties — or late fifties at the earliest," she admitted sheepishly. 

"Al — Momma, I don't really know anything about cars. I wouldn't be able to fix it if anything went wrong, and I couldn't afford a mechanic…" 

"Really, Nessa, the thing runs great. They don't build them like that anymore." 

The thing, I thought to myself… it had possibilities — as a nickname, at the very least. 

"How cheap is cheap?" After all, that was the part I couldn't compromise on. 

"Well, little bean, I kind of already bought it for you. As a homecoming gift." Alexis peeked sideways at me with a hopeful expression. 

Wow. Free. 

"You didn't need to do that, Momma. I was going to buy myself a car." 

"I don't mind. I want you to be happy here." 

She was looking ahead at the road when she said this. Alexis wasn't comfortable with expressing her emotions out loud. I inherited that from her. So I was looking straight ahead as I responded. 

"That's really nice, Momma. Thanks. I really appreciate it." No need to add that my being happy in Prince Rupert is an impossibility. She didn't need to suffer along with me. And I never looked a free truck in the mouth — or engine. 

"Well, now, you're welcome," she mumbled, embarrassed by my thanks. 

I stared out the windows. It was beautiful, of course; I couldn't deny that. Everything was green: the trees, their trunks covered with moss, their branches hanging with a canopy of it, the ground covered with ferns. Even the air filtered down greenly through the leaves. It was too green — an alien planet.

Eventually we made it to Alexis'. She still lived in the small, two-bedroom house that she'd bought with my mom in the early days of their marriage. Those were the only kind of days their marriage had — the early ones. There, parked on the street in front of the house that never changed, was my new — well, new to me — truck. It was a faded red color, with big, rounded fenders and a bulbous cab. To my intense surprise, I loved it. I didn't know if it would run, but I could see myself in it. Plus, it was one of those solid iron affairs that never gets damaged — the kind you see at the scene of an accident, paint unscratched, surrounded by the pieces of the foreign car it had destroyed. 

"Wow, Momma, I love it! Thanks!" I said, and this time I wasn't lying.

Now my horrific day tomorrow would be just that much less dreadful. I wouldn't be faced with the choice of either walking two miles in the rain to school or accepting a ride for a stranger. 

"I'm glad you like it," Alexis said with a huge smile.

It took only one trip to get all my stuff upstairs. I got the west bedroom that faced out over the front yard. The room was familiar; it had belonged to me since I was born. The wooden floor, the light blue walls, the peaked ceiling, the yellowed lace curtains around the window — these were all a part of my childhood. The only changes Alexis had ever made was the furniture. She added a bed as I got older, and added a dresser and a bedside table. 

Alexis left almost immediately once we got home and it was nice to be alone, not to have to smile and look pleased; a relief to stare dejectedly out the window at the sheeting rain and let just a few tears escape. I wasn't in the mood to go on a real crying jag. 

I would save that for bedtime, when I would have to think about the coming morning. 

Prince Rupert High School had a frightening total of only three hundred and fifty-seven — now fifty-eight — students.here were more than seven hundred people in my junior class alone back home. All of the kids here had grown up together — their grandparents had been toddlers together. 

I would be the new girl from the big city, a curiosity, a freak. Maybe, if I looked like a girl from LA should, I could work this to my advantage. But physically, I'd never fit in anywhere. I  _ should  _ be tall, sporty, blonde — a volleyball player, or a cheerleader, perhaps — all the things that go with living in California but I was just the opposite. I was a little short, with hair cut to the chin, a little thin but with hips and a huge butt, inherited from Anabell. All my appearance screamed that I came from the hood. I'm what many would call a Banjee girl.

Probably my mothers were very confused by my decisions lately ... Prince Rupert was a town full of good people, but those good people seemed to live in another time, my family had always been singled out because they were the only gay couple in the city and the only latinas. So when I told Alexis that I wanted to come to live voluntarily here it was a surprise. I was too loud, too gay, and too extra for this small town myself, but I had reason to stay away from Los Angeles.

My mother Anabell was a hopeless romantic who after her failed marriage with Alexis had wanted to give me a "normal home" and married this man ... everything seemed to be going well until one night after they returned from a party and my mother went to sleep. He entered my room and tried to outdo me. He didn't count that these pair of women had raised a fighter. I hit him with my night lamp and he fell, knocked out cold. When my mother entered my room and saw him lying on the floor it, took her two seconds to realize what had happened. A criminal proceeding was initiated against him and now he was in prison, but we never spoke about it again. Neither did we mention it to Alexis so as not to worry her, but after that everything went from bad to worse. I started to miss classes, I got a tattoo on my chest as an act of rebellion, I was expelled from school. I even quit dancing and lost the few friends I had. Later mom met John and although he was a good person I could not be near him, and that along with my attitudes began to bring problems between the two of them. So I decided to come to Prince Rupert to give my mother the chance to be happy in her new marriage, after all she deserved to have a little happiness after everything that had happened. 

When I finished putting my clothes in the old pine dresser, I took my bag of bathroom necessities and went to the communal bathroom to clean myself up after the day of travel. I looked at my face in the mirror as I brushed through my tangled, damp short brunette hair. Maybe it was the light, but already I looked sallower, unhealthy. My skin could be pretty — it was very tan, almost like golden brownish — but it all depended on color. I had no color here. 

Facing my reflection in the mirror, I was forced to admit that I was lying to myself. It wasn't just physically that I'd never fit in, if I couldn't find a niche in a school with three thousand people, what were my chances here? 

I didn't relate well to people my age. Maybe the truth was that I didn't relate well to people, period. Even my mother, who I was closer to than anyone else on the planet, was never in harmony with me, never on exactly the same page. Sometimes I wondered if I was seeing the same things through my eyes that the rest of the world was seeing through theirs. Maybe there was a glitch in my brain. But the cause didn't matter. All that mattered was the effect, and tomorrow would be just the beginning. 

I didn't sleep well that night, even after I was done crying. The constant whooshing of the rain and wind across the roof wouldn't fade into the background. I pulled the faded old quilt over my head, and later added the pillow, too. But I couldn't fall asleep until after midnight, when the rain finally settled into a quieter drizzle. 

Thick fog was all I could see out my window in the morning, and I could feel the claustrophobia creeping up on me. You could never see the sky here; it was like a cage. 

Breakfast with Alexis was a whole event, she woke up early to cook me a traditional Puerto Rican breakfast which I could not finish completely. She wished me good luck at school. I thanked her, knowing her hope was wasted. Good luck tended to avoid me. 

Alexis left first, off to the salon that was her whole life. After she left, I sat at the old square oak table in one of the three unmatching chairs and examined the small kitchen, with its dark paneled walls, bright yellow cabinets, and white linoleum floor. Nothing was changed. My mom had painted the cabinets eighteen years ago in an attempt to bring some sunshine into the house. Over the small fireplace in the adjoining equally small family room was a row of pictures. First a wedding picture of Alexis and my mom in Las Vegas, then one of the three of us in the hospital after I was born, taken by a helpful nurse, followed by the procession of my school pictures up to last year's. Those were embarrassing to look at — I would have to see what I could do to get Alexis to put them somewhere else, at least while I was living here. 

It was impossible, being in this house, not to realize that Alexis had never gotten over my mom. It made me uncomfortable. 

I didn't want to be too early to school, but I couldn't stay in the house anymore. I donned my jacket and headed out into the rain. 

It was just drizzling still, not enough to soak me through immediately. I shut the door behind me and reached for the house key that was always hidden under the eaves by the door, and locked up. The sloshing of my new waterproof boots was unnerving. I missed the normal crunch of gravel as I walked. I couldn't pause and admire my truck again as I wanted; I was in a hurry to get out of the misty wet that swirled around my head and clung to my hair under my hood. 

Inside the truck, it was nice and dry. 

Finding the school wasn't difficult, though I'd never been there before. The school was, like most other things, just off the highway. It was not obvious that it was a school. It was only when I saw the sign, which declared it to be the Prince Rupert High School, that I stopped. It looked like a collection of matching houses, built with maroon-colored bricks. There were so many trees and shrubs I couldn't see its size at first. 

I parked in front of the first building, which had a small sign over the door reading the front office. No one else was parked there, so I was sure it was off limits, but I decided I would get directions inside instead of circling around in the rain like an idiot. I stepped unwillingly out of the toasty truck cab and walked down a little stone path lined with dark hedges. I took a deep breath before opening the door. 

Inside, it was brightly lit, and warmer than I'd hoped. The office was small; a little waiting area with padded folding chairs, orange-flecked commercial carpet, notices and awards cluttering the walls, a big clock ticking loudly. Plants grew everywhere in large plastic pots, as if there wasn't enough greenery outside. There were three desks behind the counter, one of which was manned by a large, red-haired woman wearing glasses. She was wearing a purple t-shirt, which immediately made me feel overdressed. 

The red-haired woman looked up. "Can I help you?" 

"I'm Vanessa Mateo" I informed her, and saw the immediate awareness light her eyes. I was expected, a topic of gossip no doubt. Daughter of Alexis' flighty ex-wife, come home at last. 

"Of course! Welcome, I have your schedule right here, and a map of the school." She smiled at me and hoped, like Alexis, that I would like it here in Prince Rupert. I smiled back as convincingly as I could. 

When I went back out to my truck, other students were starting to arrive. I drove around the school, following the line of traffic. I was glad to see that most of the cars were older like mine, nothing flashy. At home I'd lived in one of the few lower-income neighborhoods that were included in the Paradise Valley District. It was a common thing to see a new Mercedes or Porsche in the student lot. The nicest car here was a shiny Volvo, and it stood out. Still, I cut the engine as soon as I was in a spot, so that the thunderous volume wouldn't draw attention to me. 

I kept my face pulled back into my hood as I walked to the sidewalk, crowded with teenagers. My oversized neon jacket definitely stands out, I noticed with a little bit of panic.

I took the slip up to the teacher, a tall, balding man whose desk had a nameplate identifying him as Mr. Kressley. He gawked at me when he saw my name — not an encouraging response — and of course I flushed tomato red. But at least he sent me to an empty desk at the back without introducing me to the class. It was harder for my new classmates to stare at me in the back, but somehow, they managed. I kept my eyes down on the reading list the teacher had given me. It was fairly basic: Bronte, Shakespeare, Chaucer,Faulkner . I'd already read everything. That was comforting… and boring. I wondered if my mom would send me my folder of old essays, or if she would think that was cheating. I went through different arguments with her in my head while the teacher droned on. 

When the bell rang, I looked up to see a cute, baby-faced boy, his pale blond hair carefully gelled into orderly spikes, smiling at me in a friendly way, leaned across the aisle to talk to me. 

"You're Vanessa Mateo, aren't you?" He looked like the overly helpful, fuckboy type. 

"Nessa" I corrected. Everyone within a three-seat radius turned to look at me. 

"Where's your next class?" he asked. 

I had to check in my bag. "Um, Government, with Mathews, in building six." 

There was nowhere to look without meeting curious eyes.

"I'm headed toward building four, I could show you the way…"Definitely over-helpful. "I'm Aidan," he added. 

I smiled tentatively. "Thanks."

We got our jackets and headed out into the rain, which had picked up. I could have sworn several people behind us were walking close enough to eavesdrop. I hoped I wasn't getting paranoid. 

"So, this is a lot different than LA, huh?" he asked. 

"Very." 

"It doesn't rain much there, does it?" 

"Three or four weeks a year." 

"Wow, what must that be like?" he wondered. 

"Sunny," I told him.

"You look very tan, and you have a lot of tattoos..." He said looking at the tattoos on my hands. The tattoo on my chest was covered by my jacket. 

"My mais part of the mafia..." I said, eyebrow raised.

He studied my face apprehensively, and I sighed. It looked like clouds and a sense of humor didn't mix.

A few months of this and I'd forget how to use sarcasm. 

"I'm joking, Mary." 

My classmate looked at me, confused, "I'm Aidan, who's Mary?"

I shook my head and mumbled "nobody," my humor wasted.

We walked back around the cafeteria, to the south buildings by the gym. Aidan walked me right to the door, though it was clearly marked. 

"Well, good luck," he said as I touched the handle. "Maybe we'll have some other classes together." He sounded hopeful. 

I smiled at him vaguely and went inside. The rest of the morning passed in about the same fashion. 

After two classes, I started to recognize several of the faces in each class. There was always someone braver than the others who would introduce themselves and ask me questions about how I was liking Prince Rupert. I tried to be diplomatic, but mostly I just lied a lot. At least I never needed the map. 

One girl sat next to me in both Trig and Spanish, and she walked with me to the cafeteria for lunch. Her name was Silky and I smiled and nodded as she prattled about teachers and classes. 

We sat at the end of a full table with several of her friends, who she introduced to me. I forgot all their names as soon as she spoke them. I could only remember the name of her best friend, Akeria. They seemed impressed by her bravery in speaking to me. The boy from earlier, Andrew? Alex? No, it was Aidan, waved at me from across the room. 

It was there, sitting in the lunchroom, trying to make conversation with seven curious strangers, that I first saw them. 

They were sitting in the corner of the cafeteria, as far away from where I sat as possible in the long room. There were three of them. 

They weren't talking, and they weren't eating, though they each had a tray of untouched food in front of them. They weren't gawking at me, unlike most of the other students, so it was safe to stare at them without fear of meeting an excessively interested pair of eyes. But it was none of these things that caught, and held, my attention. They didn't look anything alike. The three girls were opposites. One was thin but curvy, with a blue neon straight hair and exuded sensuality from every one of her pores. She looked like she could be in college, or even teacher here rather than student. 

The short girl was pixie like, thin in the extreme, with small asian features. Her hair was a deep black, with perfect smooth curls. 

The last one was taller, was statuesque, leaner, but still muscular, like a ballet dancer. She had a beautiful figure, the kind you saw on the cover of the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue, the kind that made every girl around her take a hit on her self-esteem just by being in the same room. Her hair was golden, gently waving to the middle of her back. 

And yet, they were all exactly alike. Every one of them was chalky pale, the palest of all the students living in this sunless town. They all had very dark eyes despite the range in hair tones. They also had dark shadows under those eyes — purplish, bruise like shadows. As if they were all suffering from a sleepless night, or almost done recovering from a broken nose. Though their noses, all their features, were straight, perfect, angular. 

But all this is not why I couldn't look away.

I started because their faces, so different, so similar, were all devastatingly, inhumanly beautiful. They were faces you never expected to see except perhaps on the airbrushed pages of a fashion magazine. Or painted by an old master as the face of an angel. It was hard to decide who was the most beautiful, almost impossible, but the blonde had definitely stolen my attention.

They were all looking away — away from each other, away from the other students, away from anything in particular as far as I could tell. As I watched, the small asian girl rose with her tray — unopened soda, unbitten apple — and walked away with a quick, graceful lope that belonged on a runway. I watched, amazed at her lithe step, till she dumped her tray and glided through the back door, faster than I would have thought possible. My eyes darted back to the others, who sat unchanging. 

"Who are they ?" I asked Silky. 

As she looked up to see who I meant — though already knowing, probably, from my tone — suddenly she looked at her, the taller one.

She looked at my neighbor for just a fraction of a second, and then her dark eyes flickered to mine. She looked away quickly, more quickly than I could, though in a flush of embarrassment I dropped my eyes at once. In that brief flash of a glance, her face held nothing of interest — it was as if she had called her name, and she'd looked up in involuntary response, already having decided not to answer. 

My neighbor giggled in embarrassment, looking at the table like I did. 

"That's Brooke Lynn Hytes and Dorothea Hytes but she calls herself Detox. The one who left was Pauline Edwards, but everyone calls her Plastique; they all live together with the town's doctor, Farra Hytes." She said this under her breath. 

I glanced sideways at the beautiful blonde girl, who was looking at her tray now, picking a bagel to pieces with long, pale fingers. Her mouth was moving very quickly, her perfect lips barely opening. The other one still looked away, and yet I felt she was speaking quietly to her.

Strange, unpopular names, I thought. The kinds of names grandparents had. But maybe that was in vogue here — small town names?

"They are… very nice-looking." I struggled with the conspicuous understatement.

"Yes!" Silky agreed with another giggle. 

"They don't look related…" 

"Oh, they're not. Dr. Hytes is really young, in her early thirties. They're adopted. And Plastique is a foster child." 

"She looks a little old for a foster home."

"She is now, Plastique is eighteen, she's been with Dr Hytes since she was eight. Farra is her aunt or something like that." 

"That's really kinda nice — for her to take care of all them kids like that, when she's so young and everything." 

"I guess so," Silky admitted reluctantly, and I got the impression that she didn't like the doctor for some reason. With the glances she was throwing at her adopted daughters, I would presume the reason was jealousy. "I think that Dr Hytes can't have any kids, though," she added, as if that lessened her kindness. 

Throughout all this conversation, my eyes flickered again and again to the table where the sisters sat. They continued to look at the walls and not eat. 

"Have they always lived in Prince Rupert?" I asked. Surely I would have noticed them on one of my summers here. 

"No," she said in a voice that implied it should be obvious, even to a new arrival like me. 

"They just moved down two years ago from somewhere in Alaska ." 

I felt a surge of pity, and relief. Pity because, as beautiful as they were, they were outsiders, clearly not accepted. Relief that I wasn't the only newcomer here, and certainly not the most interesting by any standard. 

As I examined them, the tallest looked up and met my gaze, this time with evident curiosity in her expression. As I looked swiftly away, it seemed to me that her glance held some kind of unmet expectation. 

"Which one is the blondie?" I asked. I peeked at her from the corner of my eye, and she was still staring at me, but not gawking like the other students had today — she had a slightly frustrated expression. I looked down again. 

"That's Brooke Lynn. She's gorgeous, of course, but don't waste your time. She doesn't like to make friends. Apparently none of the girls here are good-looking or cool enough for her." I wondered when she had turned her down. 

I bit my lip to hide my smile. Then I glanced at her again. Her face was turned away, but I thought her cheek appeared lifted, as if she were smiling, too. 

After a few more minutes, the sisters left the table together. They all were noticeably graceful. It was unsettling to watch. The one named Brooke Lynn didn't look at me again. 

I sat at the table with Silky, Akeria and their friends longer than I would have if I'd been sitting alone. I was anxious not to be late for class on my first day. I didn't want to have problems in the new school.

Akeria had Biology II with me the next hour and we walked to class together in silence. She was a little shy, more quiet than Silky. 

When we entered the classroom, Akeria went to sit at a black-topped lab table exactly like the ones I was used to. She already had a neighbor. In fact, all the tables were filled but one. Next to the center aisle, I recognized Brooke Lynn Hytes, sitting next to that single open seat. 

As I walked down the aisle to introduce myself to the teacher and get my slip signed, I was watching her surreptitiously. Just as I passed, she suddenly went rigid in her seat. She stared at me again, meeting my eyes with the strangest expression on her face — it was hostile, furious. I looked away quickly, shocked, going red again. 

I'd noticed that her eyes were black — coal black. 

Miss Visage signed my slip and handed me a book with no nonsense about introductions. I could tell we were going to get along. Of course, she had no choice but to send me to the one open seat in the middle of the room. I kept my eyes down as I went to sit by her, bewildered by the antagonistic stare she'd given me. 

I didn't look up as I set my book on the table and took my seat, but I saw her posture change from the corner of my eye. She was leaning away from me, sitting on the extreme edge of her chair and averting her face like she smelled something bad. Inconspicuously, I sniffed my hair. It smelled like strawberries, the scent of my favorite shampoo. It seemed an innocent enough odor. I let my hair fall over my right shoulder, making a dark curtain between us, and tried to pay attention to the teacher. 

Unfortunately the lecture was on cellular anatomy, something I'd already studied. 

I took notes carefully anyway, always looking down. I couldn't stop myself from peeking occasionally through the screen of my hair at the strange girl next to me. During the whole class, she never relaxed her stiff position on the edge of her chair, sitting as far from me as possible. I could see her hand on her left leg was clenched into a fist, tendons standing out under her pale skin. This, too, she never relaxed. 

The class seemed to drag on longer than the others. Was it because the day was finally coming to a close, or because I was waiting for her tight fist to loosen? It never did; she continued to sit so still it looked like she wasn't breathing. What was wrong with her? Was this her normal behavior? I questioned my judgment on Silky's bitterness at lunch today. Maybe she was not as resentful as I'd thought. 

It couldn't have anything to do with me. She didn't know me from Eve. 

I peeked up at her one more time, and regretted it. She was glaring down at me again, her black eyes full of revulsion. As I flinched away from her, shrinking against my chair, the phrase if looks could kill suddenly ran through my mind. 

At that moment, the bell rang loudly, making me jump, and Brooke Lynn Hytes was out of her seat. Fluidly she rose — she was much taller than I'd thought — her back to me, and she was out the door before anyone else was out of their seat. 

I sat frozen in my seat, staring blankly after her. She was so mean. It wasn't fair. I began gathering up my things slowly, trying to block the anger that filled me, for fear my eyes would tear up. For some reason, my temper was hardwired to my tear ducts. I usually cried when I was angry, a humiliating tendency. 

"Hey Nessa!" Aidan was smiling at me. He obviously didn't think I smelled bad. 

"Hi, Aidan."

"Do you need any help finding your next class?" 

"I'm headed to the gym, actually. I think I can find it." 

"That's my next class, too." He seemed thrilled, though it wasn't that big of a coincidence in a school this small. 

We walked to class together; he was a chatterer — he supplied most of the conversation, which made it easy for me. He'd lived in California till he was ten, so he knew how I felt about the sun. 

As we were entering the gym, he asked, "So, did you stab Brooke Lynn with a pencil or what? I've never seen her act like that." 

I cringed. So I wasn't the only one who had noticed. And, apparently, that wasn't Brooke's usual behavior. I decided to play dumb. 

"Was that the girl I sat next to in Biology?" I asked artlessly. 

"Yes," he said. "She looked like she was in pain or something." 

"I don't know," I responded. "I never spoke to her." 

"She's a weird girl." Aidan lingered by me instead of heading to the dressing room. "If I were lucky enough to sit by you, I would have talked to you."

I smiled at him before walking through the girls' locker room door. He was friendly and clearly admiring. But he was definitely wasting his time with me. Wasn't it obvious that I'm a lesbian?

The Gym teacher, Coach Charles, found me a uniform but didn't make me dress down for today's class.

I watched four volleyball games running simultaneously. 

The final bell rang at last. I walked slowly to the office to return my paperwork. The rain had drifted away, but the wind was strong, and colder. I wrapped my arms around myself. 

When I walked into the warm office, I almost turned around and walked back out.

Brooke Lynn Hytes stood at the desk in front of me. She didn't appear to notice the sound of my entrance. I stood pressed against the back wall, waiting for the receptionist to be free. 

She was arguing with her in a low, attractive voice. I quickly picked up the gist of the argument. She was trying to trade from sixth-hour Biology to another time — any other time. 

I just couldn't believe that this was about me. It had to be something else, something that happened before I entered the Biology room. 

The look on her face must have been about another aggravation entirely. It was impossible that this stranger could take such a sudden, intense dislike to me. 

The door opened again, and the cold wind suddenly gusted through the room, rustling the papers on the desk, swirling my hair around my face. The girl who came in merely stepped to the desk, placed a note in the wire basket, and walked out again. But Brooke's back stiffened, and she turned slowly to glare at me — her face was absurdly beautiful — with piercing, hate-filled eyes. For an instant, I felt a thrill of genuine fear, raising the hair on my arms. The look only lasted a second, but it chilled me more than the freezing wind.

She turned back to the receptionist. 

"Never mind, then," she said hastily in a voice like velvet. "I can see that it's impossible. Thank you so much for your help." And she turned on her heel without another look at me, and disappeared out the door. 

I went meekly to the desk, my face white for once instead of red, and handed her the signed slip. 

"How did your first day go, dear?" the receptionist asked maternally. 

"Fine," I lied , my voice weak. She didn't look convinced. 

When I got to the truck, it was almost the last car in the lot. It seemed like a haven, already the closest thing to home I had in this damp green hole. I sat inside for a while, just staring out the windshield blankly. But soon I was cold enough to need the heater, so I turned the key and the engine roared to life. I headed back to Alexis' house, fighting tears the whole way there.


	2. Open Book

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> First love can be the most dangerous ...  
> When Vanessa Mateo moves into Prince Rupert her life takes an exciting and terrifying turn once she meets the mysterious and seductive Brooke Lynn Hytes. Now she is torn between her instincts and the satisfaction of her desires.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is basically twilight seen from my eyes. This work is intended to be true to the original story but with a little twist. I hope you enjoy reading. As always I wanna thanks to the best beta in the world Vanjiebitchh! for supporting me in this madness.  
> Also the dynamics with two mothers can be a little bit confusing. Vanessa always calls Anabell mom and Alexis Momma (at least when she's listening LOL)  
> P.S  
> Mija is a loving way of saying daughter in Spanish  
> Mofongo is a traditional Puerto Rican dish  
> Cabrones is the variant of m*therf*ckers in Spanish

The next day was better, and worse. 

It was better because it wasn't raining yet, though the clouds were dense and opaque. It was easier because I knew what to expect of my day. Aidan came to sit by me in English, and walked me to my next class. People didn't look at me quite as much as they had the previous day. I sat with a big group at lunch that included Silky, Akeria, Aidan, and several other people whose names and faces I now remembered. I began to feel like I was treading water, instead of drowning in it. 

It was worse because I was tired; I still couldn't sleep with the wind echoing around the house and it was worse because Brooke Lynn wasn't in school at all. 

All morning I was dreading lunch, fearing her bizarre glares. Part of me wanted to confront her and demand to know what her problem was.  
While I was lying sleepless in my bed, I even imagined what I would say. 

But when I walked into the cafeteria with Silky — trying to keep my eyes from sweeping the place for her, and failing entirely — I saw that her sisters were sitting together at the same table, and she was not with them. 

Aidan intercepted us and steered us to his table. But as I tried to listen to their chatter, I was terribly uncomfortable, waiting nervously for the moment she would arrive. I hoped that she would simply ignore me when she came, and prove my suspicions false. 

She didn't come, and as time passed I grew more and more tense. 

I walked to Biology with more confidence when, by the end of lunch, she still hadn't showed. Aidan, who was taking on the qualities of a golden retriever, walked faithfully by my side to class. I held my breath at the door, but Brooke Lynn Hytes wasn't there, either. I exhaled and went to my seat. Aidan followed, talking about an upcoming trip to the beach. He lingered by my desk till the bell rang. Then he smiled at me wistfully and went to sit by his partner. It looked like I was going to have to do something about Aidan, and it wouldn't be easy. In a town like this, where everyone lived on top of everyone else, diplomacy was essential. I had never been enormously tactful; I had no practice dealing with overly friendly boys. 

I was relieved that I had the desk to myself, that Brooke was absent. I told myself that repeatedly. But I couldn't get rid of the nagging suspicion that I was the reason she wasn't there. It was ridiculous, and egotistical, to think that I could affect anyone that strongly. It was impossible. And yet I couldn't stop worrying that it was true. 

When the school day was finally done I walked swiftly out to the parking lot. It was crowded now with fleeing students. I got in my truck and dug through my bag to make sure I had what I needed. 

I gunned my deafening engine to life, ignoring the heads that turned in my direction, and backed carefully into a place in the line of cars that were waiting to exit the parking lot. As I waited, trying to pretend that the ear splitting rumble was coming from someone else's car, I saw Detox and Plastique getting into their car. It was the shiny new Volvo. Of course. I hadn't noticed their clothes before — I'd been too mesmerized by their faces. Now that I looked, it was obvious that they were all dressed exceptionally well, in designer's clothes. With their remarkable good looks, the style with which they carried themselves, they could have worn dishrags and pulled it off. It seemed excessive for them to have both looks and money. But as far as I could tell, life worked that way most of the time. It didn't look as if it bought them any acceptance here. 

No, I didn't fully believe that. The isolation must be their desire; I couldn't imagine any door that wouldn't be opened by that degree of beauty. 

They looked at my noisy truck as I passed them, just like everyone else. I kept my eyes straight forward and was relieved when I finally was free of the school grounds. 

When I got home, I started to make dinner. I wanted to surprise Alexis cooking her favorite dish, Mofongo. I cut the green bananas, put them to fry in oil and then leave them in the pilon, cooling to finish preparing them later. When I was finished with that, I took my book bag upstairs. Before starting my homework, I changed into a pair of dry sweats, pulled my damp hair up into a pony-tail, and checked my cell phone for the first time. I had three messages. 

My mom wrote… 

"Mija please write to me as soon as you get in. Tell me how your flight was. Is it raining? I miss you already frijolito. I'm almost finished packing for Florida, but I can't find my blue dress. Do you know where I put it? John says hi. Mom."

I sighed and went to the next. It was sent eight hours after the first. 

She wrote… 

"Nessa. Why haven't you texted me yet!? What are you waiting for?Mom."

The last was from this morning. 

"Vanessa Mateo, If I haven't heard from you by 5:30 p.m. today I'm calling Alexis, y estoy hablando en serio."

I checked the clock. I still had an hour, but my mom was well known for jumping the gun.

"Mami, Calm down! Jesus... I'm writing right now. Don't do anything rash. Everything is great. Of course it's raining, it's always raining in this shit town. I was waiting for something to write about. School aint bad, just a little repetitive. I met some nice gals who sat by me at lunch.  
Your dress is at the dry cleaners - you were supposed to pick it up Wednesday.  
Alexis bought me a truck, can you believe it? I love it. It's old, but really sturdy, which is good, you know, for me.  
I miss you, too. I'll write again soon, but I'm not going to check my cell phone every five minutes. Relax, breathe. Te amo. Nessa."

I had decided to practice the Umbrella choreography yet again for the fun of it, and that's what I was doing when Alexis came home. I'd lost track of the time, and I hurried downstairs to smash the bananas. 

"Nessa?" Alexis called out when she heard me on the stairs. 

Who else? I thought to myself. 

"Hey, Momma, welcome home." 

"Thanks, whait. You made dinner?" she asked warily. My mom Anabell was an imaginative cook, and her experiments weren't always edible. I was surprised, and sad, that she seemed to remember that far back. 

"Mofongo," I answered, and she looked relieved and pleasantly surprised.

She seemed to feel awkward standing in the kitchen doing nothing; she lumbered into the living room to watch TV while I worked.

I called her in when dinner was ready, and she sniffed appreciatively as she walked into the room. 

"Smells good, Ness." 

"Thanks." 

We ate in silence for a few minutes and then Alexis started with the interrogation...

"So, how did you like school? Have you made any friends?" she asked.

"Well, I have a few classes with a girl named Silky. I sit with her friends at lunch. And there's this boy, Aidan, who's really friendly. Everybody seems pretty nice."  
With one outstanding exception. 

"That must be Aidan Faminoff. Nice kid — nice family. His dad owns the sporting goods store just outside of town. He makes a good living off all the backpackers who come through here." 

"Do you know the Hytes family?" I asked hesitantly. 

"Dr. Hytes' family? Sure. The doctor is a great woman." 

"They… the daughters… are a little different. They don't seem to fit in very well at school." 

Alexis surprised me by looking angry. 

"Cabrones..." she muttered. "Dr. Hytes is a brilliant surgeon who could probably work in any hospital in the world, make ten times the salary she gets here," she continued, getting louder, the latina in her slipping slowly into her voice. "We're lucky to have her — lucky that she wanted to live in a small town. She's an asset to the community, and her girls are well behaved and polite. I had my doubts, when they first moved in, with all those adopted teenagers. I thought we might have some problems with them. But they're all very mature — I haven't had one speck of trouble from any of them. That's more than I can say for the children of some idiots who have lived in this town for generations. And they stick together the way a family should — they go to the salon to get their nails done weekly, camping trips every other weekend… Just because they're newcomers, people have to talk." 

I backpedaled. "They seemed nice enough to me. I just noticed they kept to themselves. They're all very attractive," I added, trying to be more complimentary. 

"You should see the doctor," Alexis said, laughing. "A lot of the nurses at the hospital have a hard time concentrating on their work with her around. And I'm supposed to be the lesbian here?" 

I laughed so hard my watermelon water came out of my nose. She asked me more about my new friends as we finished eating. She cleared the table while I started on the dishes then went back to the TV to watch her telenovela. I finished washing the dishes by hand, no dishwasher, and I went upstairs unwillingly to work on my math homework. I could feel a tradition in the making. 

That night it was finally quiet. I fell asleep quickly, exhausted.

The rest of the week was uneventful. I got used to the routine of my classes. By Friday I was able to recognize, if not name, almost all the students at school. 

Brooke Lynn Hytes didn't come back to school. 

Every day, I watched anxiously until the Hytes girls entered the cafeteria without her, then I could relax and join in the lunchtime conversation. Mostly it centered around a trip to the Rushbrook Trail in two weeks that Aidenwas putting together. I was invited, and I had agreed to go, more out of politeness than desire. Beaches should be hot and dry. 

By Friday I was perfectly comfortable entering my Biology class, no longer worried that Brooke would be there. For all I knew, she had dropped out of school. I tried not to think about her, but I couldn't totally suppress the worry that I was responsible for her continued absence, ridiculous as it seemed. 

My first weekend in Prince Rupert passed without incident. Alexis, unused to spending time in the usually empty house, worked most of the weekend. I cleaned the house, got ahead on my homework, and wrote my mom more bogusly cheerful texts. 

The rain stayed soft over the weekend, quiet, so I was able to sleep well. 

People greeted me in the parking lot Monday morning. I didn't know all their names, but I waved back and smiled at everyone. It was colder this morning, but luckily not raining. 

All in all, I was feeling a lot more comfortable than I had thought I would feel by this point. More comfortable than I had ever expected to feel here. 

When we walked out of class, the air was full of swirling bits of white. I could hear people shouting excitedly to each other. The wind bit at my cheeks, my nose. 

"Wow," Silky said. "It's snowing." 

I looked at the little cotton fluffs that were building up along the sidewalk and swirling erratically past my face. 

"Ewww." Snow.There went my good day. 

She looked surprised. "Bitch don't tell me, don't you like snow?" 

"No. That means it's too cold for rain." Obviously. "Besides, I thought it was supposed to come down in flakes — you know, each one unique and all that. These just look like the ends of Q-tips." 

"Haven't you ever seen snow fall before?" she asked incredulously. 

"Sure I have." I paused."On TV."

Silky laughed. And then a big, squishy ball of dripping snow smacked into the back of her head. We both turned to see where it came from. I had my suspicions about Akeria, who was walking away, her back toward us — in the wrong direction for her next class. Silky apparently had the same notion. She bent over and began scraping together a pile of the white mush. 

"I'll see you at lunch, okay?" I kept walking as I spoke. "Once people start throwing wet stuff, I dip." 

She just nodded, her eyes on Akeria's retreating figure. 

Throughout the morning, everyone chattered excitedly about the snow; apparently it was the first snowfall of the new year . I kept my mouth shut. Sure, it was drier than rain — until it melted in your socks. 

I walked alertly to the cafeteria with Silky after Spanish. Mush balls were flying everywhere. I kept a binder in my hands, ready to use it as a shield if necessary. Silky thought I was hilarious, but something in my expression kept her from lobbing a snowball at me herself. 

Aidan caught up to us as we walked in the doors, laughing, with ice melting the spikes in his hair. He and Silky were talking animatedly about the snow fight as we got in line to buy food. I glanced toward that table in the corner out of habit. And then I froze where I stood. There were three people at the table.  
Silky pulled on my arm. 

"Hey bitch! Ness? What do you want?" 

I looked down; my ears were hot. I had no reason to feel self-conscious, I reminded myself. I hadn't done anything wrong. 

"What's with Ness?" Aidan asked Silky. 

"Nothing," I answered. "I'll just get a sour patch kids." I caught up to the end of the line. 

"Ain't you hungry?" Silky asked. 

"Actually, I feel a little sick," I said, my eyes still on the floor. I waited for them to get their food, and then followed them to a table, my eyes on my feet. 

I eat my candies slowly, my stomach churning. Twice Aidenasked, with unnecessary concern, how I was feeling. 

I told him it was nothing, but I was wondering if I should play it up and escape to the nurse's office for the next hour. 

Ridiculous. I shouldn't have to run away. 

I decided to permit myself one glance at the Hytes family's table. If she was glaring at me, I would skip Biology, like the coward I was.

I kept my head down and glanced up under my lashes. None of them were looking this way. I lifted my head a little. 

They were laughing. Brooke Lynn had her hair entirely saturated with melting snow. Detox and Plastique were leaning away as Brooke shook her dripping hair toward them. They were enjoying the snowy day, just like everyone else — only they looked more like a scene from a movie than the rest of us. 

But, aside from the laughter and playfulness, there was something different, and I couldn't quite pinpoint what that difference was. I examined Brooke Lynn the most carefully. Her skin was less pale, I decided — flushed from the snow fight maybe — the circles under his eyes much less noticeable. But there was something more. I pondered, staring, trying to isolate the change. 

"Nessa, what are you staring at?" Silky intruded, her eyes following my stare. 

At that precise moment, her eyes flashed over to meet mine. 

I dropped my head, letting my hair fall to conceal my face. I was sure, though, in the instant our eyes met, that she didn't look harsh or unfriendly as she had the last time I'd seen her. She looked merely curious again, unsatisfied in some way. 

"Brooke Lynn is staring at you," Silky giggled in my ear. 

"She don't look angry, does she?" I couldn't help asking. 

"No," she said, sounding confused by my question. "Should she be?" 

"I don't think she likes me," I confided. I still felt queasy. I put my head down on my arm. 

"The Hytes don't like nobody…well, they don't notice nobody enough to like them. But she's still staring at you." 

"Stop lookin' at her, bitch!" I hissed. 

She snickered, but she looked away. I raised my head enough to make sure that she did, contemplating violence if she resisted.  
Aidan interrupted us then — he was planning an epic battle of the blizzard in the parking lot after school and wanted us to join. Silky agreed enthusiastically. The way she looked at Aidan left little doubt that she would be up for anything he suggested. I kept silent. I would have to hide in the gym until the parking lot cleared. 

For the rest of the lunch hour I very carefully kept my eyes at my own table. I decided to honor the bargain I'd made with myself. Since she didn't look angry, I would go to Biology. My stomach did frightened little flips at the thought of sitting next to her again. 

I didn't really want to walk to class with Aidan as usual — he seemed to be a popular target for the snowball snipers — but when we went to the door, everyone besides me groaned in unison. It was raining, washing all traces of the snow away in clear, icy ribbons down the side of the walkway. I pulled my hood up, secretly pleased. I would be free to go straight home after Gym.

Aidan kept up a string of compliments on the way to building four. 

Once inside the classroom, I saw with relief that my table was still empty. Miss Visage was walking around the room, distributing one microscope and box of slides to each table. Class didn't start for a few minutes, and the room buzzed with conversation. I kept my eyes away from the door, doodling idly on the cover of my notebook. 

I heard very clearly when the chair next to me moved, but my eyes stayed carefully focused on the gown I was drawing. 

"Hello," said a quiet, musical voice.  
I looked up, stunned that she was speaking to me. She was sitting as far away from me as the desk allowed, but his chair was angled toward me. Her hair was dripping wet, disheveled — even so, she looked like she'd just finished shooting a commercial for shampoo. Her dazzling face was friendly, open, a slight smile on her flawless lips. But her eyes were careful. 

"My name is Brooke Lynn Hytes," she continued. "I didn't have a chance to introduce myself last week. You must be Nessa Mateo." 

My mind was spinning with confusion. Had I made up the whole thing? She was perfectly polite now. I had to speak; she was waiting. But I couldn't think of anything conventional to say. 

"How do you know my name?" I stammered. 

She laughed a soft, enchanting laugh. 

"Oh, I think everyone knows your name. The whole town's been waiting for you to arrive." 

I grimaced. I knew it was something like that. 

"No," I persisted stupidly. "I meant, why did you call me Nessa?" 

She seemed confused. "Do you prefer Vanessa?" 

"No, I like Nessa," I said. "But I think Alexis — I mean my mother — must call me Vanessa behind my back — that's what everyone here seems to know me as," I tried to explain, feeling like an utter moron. 

"Oh." She let it drop. I looked away awkwardly. 

Thankfully, Miss Visage started class at that moment. I tried to concentrate as she explained the lab we would be doing today. The slides in the box were out of order. Working as lab partners, we had to separate the slides of onion root tip cells into the phases of mitosis they represented and label them accordingly. We weren't supposed to use our books. In twenty minutes, she would be coming around to see who had it right. 

"Get started," she commanded. 

"The new ladies first, partner?" Brooke asked. I looked up to see her smiling a crooked smile so beautiful that I could only stare at her like an idiot.

"Or I could start, if you wish." The smile faded; she was obviously wondering if I was mentally competent. 

"No," I said, flushing. "I'll go ahead."  
I was showing off, just a little. I'd already done this lab, and I knew what I was looking for. It should be easy. I snapped the first slide into place under the microscope and adjusted it quickly to the 40X objective. I studied the slide briefly. 

My assessment was confident."Prophase." 

"Do you mind if I look?" She asked as I began to remove the slide. Her hand caught mine, to stop me, as she asked. Her fingers were ice-cold, like she'd been holding them in a snowdrift before class. But that wasn't why I jerked my hand away so quickly. When she touched me, it stung my hand as if an electric current had passed through us. 

"I'm sorry," she muttered, pulling her hand back immediately. However, she continued to reach for the microscope. I watched her, still staggered, as she examined the slide for an even shorter time than I had. 

"Prophase," she agreed, writing it neatly in the first space on our worksheet. She swiftly switched out the first slide for the second, and then glanced at it cursorily. 

"Anaphase," she murmured, writing it down as she spoke. 

I kept my voice indifferent. "May I?" 

She smirked and pushed the microscope to me. 

I looked through the eyepiece eagerly, only to be disappointed. Fuck, she was right. 

"Slide three?" I held out my hand without looking at her.  
She handed it to me; it seemed like she was being careful not to touch my skin again. I took the most fleeting look I could manage. 

"Interphase."I passed her the microscope before she could ask for it. She took a swift peek, and then wrote it down. I would have written it while she looked, but her clear, elegant script intimidated me. I didn't want to spoil the page with my clumsy scrawl. 

We were finished before anyone else was close. I could see Aidan and his partner comparing two slides again and again, and another group had their book open under the table. 

Which left me with nothing to do but try to not look at her… unsuccessfully.I glanced up, and she was staring at me, that same inexplicable look of frustration in her eyes. Suddenly I identified that subtle difference in her face. 

"Did you get contacts?" I blurted out unthinkingly.  
She seemed puzzled by my unexpected question, a perfect eyebrow in a sharp arch. "No."

"Oh," I mumbled. "I thought there was something different about your eyes." 

She shrugged, and looked away. 

In fact, I was sure there was something different. I vividly remembered the flat black color of her eyes the last time she'd glared at me — the color was striking against the background of her pale skin and blonde hair. Today, her eyes were a completely different color: a strange ocher, darker than butterscotch, but with the same golden tone. I didn't understand how that could be, unless she was lying for some reason about the contacts. Or maybe Prince Rupert was making me crazy in the literal sense of the word. 

I looked down. Her hands were clenched into hard fists again. 

Miss Visage came to our table, to see why we weren't working. She looked over our shoulders to glance at the completed lab, and then stared more intently to check the answers. 

"So, Brooke Lynn, didn't you think Vanessa should get a chance with the microscope?" She asked. 

"Nessa," Brooke corrected automatically. "Actually, she identified three of the five." 

The teacher looked at me now; her expression was skeptical. 

"Have you done this lab before?" She asked. 

I smiled sheepishly. "Not with onion root." 

"Whitefish blastula?" 

"Yeah." 

Miss Visage nodded. "Well," she said after a moment, "I guess it's good you two are lab partners." She mumbled something else as she walked away. After she left, I began doodling on my notebook again. 

"It's too bad about the snow, isn't it?" Brooke Lynn asked. I had the feeling that she was forcing herself to make small talk with me. Paranoia swept over me again. It was like she had heard my conversation with Silky at lunch and was trying to prove me wrong. 

"Not really," I answered honestly, instead of pretending to be normal like everyone else. I was still trying to dislodge the stupid feeling of suspicion, and I couldn't concentrate. 

"You don't like the cold." It wasn't a question. 

"Or the wet." 

"Prince Rupert must be a difficult place for you to live," she mused. 

"You have no idea," I muttered darkly.

She looked fascinated by what I said, for some reason I couldn't imagine. Her face was such a distraction that I tried not to look at it any more than courtesy absolutely demanded. 

"Why did you come here, then?" No one had asked me that — not straight out like he did, demanding. 

"It's… complicated." 

"I think I can keep up," she pressed. I paused for a long moment, and then made the mistake of meeting her gaze. Her dark gold eyes confused me, and I answered without thinking. 

"My mother got remarried," I said. 

"That doesn't sound so complex," she disagreed, but she was suddenly sympathetic. "When did that happen?" 

"Last September." My voice sounded sad, even to me. 

"And you don't like him," Brooke Lynn surmised, her tone still kind. 

"No, John is fine.Too young, maybe, but nice enough." 

"Why didn't you stay with them?" I couldn't fathom her interest, but she continued to stare at me with penetrating eyes, as if my dull life's story was somehow vitally important. 

"John travels a lot. He is a photographer " I half-smiled. 

"And your mother sent you here so that she could travel with him." She said it as an assumption again, not a question. 

My chin raised a fraction. "No, she did not send me here. I sent myself." 

Her eyebrows knit together. "I don't understand," she admitted, and she seemed unnecessarily frustrated by that fact. 

I sighed. Why was I explaining this to her? She continued to stare at me with obvious curiosity. 

"She stayed with me at first, but she missed him. It made her unhappy… so I decided it was time to spend some quality time with Alexis." My voice was glum by the time I finished. 

"But now you're unhappy," she pointed out.

"And?" I challenged myself. 

"That doesn't seem fair." She shrugged, but her eyes were still intense. 

I laughed without humor. "Hasn't anyone ever told you? Life isn't fair." 

"I believe I have heard that somewhere before," she agreed dryly. 

"So that's all," I insisted, wondering why she was still staring at me that way. 

Her gaze became appraising. "You put on a good show," she said slowly. "But I'd be willing to bet that you're suffering more than you let anyone see." 

I grimaced at her, resisting the impulse to stick out my tongue like a five-year-old, and looked away. 

"Am I wrong?" I tried to ignore her. 

"I didn't think so," she murmured smugly. 

"Why does it matter to you ?" I asked, irritated. I kept my eyes away, watching the teacher make her rounds. 

"That's a very good question," she muttered, so quietly that I wondered if she was talking to herself. However, after a few seconds of silence, I decided that was the only answer I was going to get. 

I sighed, scowling at the blackboard. 

"Am I annoying you?" She asked. She sounded amused. 

I glanced at her without thinking… and told the truth again."Not exactly. I'm more annoyed at myself. My face is so easy to read — my mother always calls me her open book." I frowned. 

"On the contrary, I find you very difficult to read." Despite everything that I'd said and she'd guessed, she sounded like she meant it. 

"You must be a good reader then," I replied. 

"Usually." She smiled widely, flashing a set of perfect, ultrawhite teeth. 

Miss Visage called the class to order, and I turned with relief to listen. I was in disbelief that I'd just explained my dreary life to this bizarre, beautiful girl who may or may not despise me. She'd seemed engrossed in our conversation, but now I could see, from the corner of my eye, that she was leaning away from me again, her hands gripping the edge of the table with unmistakable tension. 

I tried to appear attentive as the teacher illustrated, with transparencies on the overhead projector, what I had seen without difficulty through the microscope. But my thoughts were unmanageable. 

When the bell finally rang, Brooke Lynn rushed as swiftly and as gracefully from the room as she had last Monday. And, like last Monday, I stared after her in amazement.

Aidan skipped quickly to my side and picked up my books for me. I imagined him with a wagging tail.

"That was awful," he groaned. "They all looked exactly the same. You're lucky you had Hytes for a partner." 

"I didn't have any trouble with it," I said, stung by his assumption. I regretted the snub instantly. "I've done the lab before, though," I added before he could get his feelings hurt. 

"Hytes seemed friendly enough today," he commented as we shrugged into our raincoats. He didn't seem pleased about it. 

I tried to sound indifferent. "I wonder what was with her last Monday." 

The rain was just a mist as I walked to the parking lot, but I was happier when I was in the dry cab. I got the heater running, for once not caring about the mind-numbing roar of the engine. I unzipped my jacket, put the hood down, and fluffed my damp hair out so the heater could dry it on the way home. 

I looked around me to make sure it was clear. That's when I noticed the still, white figure. Brooke Lynn Hytes was leaning against the front door of the Volvo, three cars down from me, and staring intently in my direction. I swiftly looked away and threw the truck into reverse, almost hitting a rusty Toyota Corolla in my haste. Lucky for the Toyota , I stomped on the brake in time. It was just the sort of car that my truck would make scrap metal of. I took a deep breath, still looking out the other side of my car, and cautiously pulled out again, with greater success. I stared straight ahead as I passed the Volvo, but from a peripheral peek, I would swear I saw her laughing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd love to hear your thoughts, you can find me on Instagram as @brooky_poo_hytes


	3. Phenomenon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> First love can be the most dangerous ...  
> When Vanessa Mateo moves into Prince Rupert her life takes an exciting and terrifying turn once she meets the mysterious and seductive Brooke Lynn Hytes. Now she is torn between her instincts and the satisfaction of her desires.

When I opened my eyes in the morning, something was different.   
It was the light. It was still the gray-green light of a cloudy day in the forest, but it was clearer somehow. I realized there was no fog veiling my window. 

I jumped up to look outside, and then groaned in horror. 

A fine layer of snow covered the yard, dusted the top of my truck, and whitened the road. But that wasn't the worst part. All the rain from yesterday had frozen solid — coating the needles on the trees in fantastic, gorgeous patterns, and making the driveway a deadly ice slick. I had enough trouble not falling down when the ground was dry; my clumsy ass would surely slip and break my neck if I tried to walk into the death trap the outside had become it; might be safer for me to go back to bed now. 

Alexis had left for work before I got downstairs. In a lot of ways, living with Alexis was like having my own place, and I found myself reveling in the aloneness instead of being lonely. 

I threw down a quick strawberry pop tart and some orange juice from the carton. I felt excited to go to school, and that scared me. I knew it wasn't the classes, which surprisingly weren't complete shit, or seeing my new set of friends. If I was being honest with myself, I knew I was eager to get to school because I would see that beautiful Blondie. And that was very, very stupid cuz she was probably straight, plus I was sure she practically hated me.

I should be avoiding her entirely after my brainless and embarrassing babbling yesterday. And I was suspicious of her; why should she lie about her eyes? I was still frightened of the hostility I sometimes felt emanating from her, and I was still tongue-tied whenever I pictured her perfect face. I was well aware that my league and her league were spheres that did not touch. So I shouldn't be at all anxious to see her today. 

It took every ounce of my concentration to make it down the icy brick driveway alive. I almost lost my balance when I finally got to the truck, but I managed to cling to the side mirror and save myself. Clearly, today was going to be nightmarish. 

Driving to school, I distracted myself from my fear of falling and my unwanted speculations about Brooke Lynn Hytes by thinking about Aidan and the obvious difference in how teenage boys responded to me here. I was sure I looked exactly the same as I had in LA. Perhaps it was because I was a novelty here, where novelties were few and far between. Whatever the reason, Aiden's puppy dog behavior and other guys apparent rivalry with him were disconcerting. I was sure that I did prefer being ignored.  
Silky and Akeria knew that I was a lesbian, Silky had been very direct when it came to asking me and I didn't care if everyone knew, I'm just trying to keep a lower profile. It was bad enough being the only daughter of a gay family, of divorced mothers, to also bring more attention to me being obviously a lesbian. Besides, my business and my sex life weren't the concern of any of those hoes. 

My truck seemed to have no problem with the black ice that covered the roads. I drove very slowly, though, not wanting to carve a path of destruction through Main Street . 

When I got out of my truck at school, I saw why I'd had so little trouble. Something silver caught my eye, and I walked to the back of the truck — carefully holding the side for support — to examine my tires. There were thin chains crisscrossed in diamond shapes around them. Alexis had gotten up who knows how early to put snow chains on my truck. My throat suddenly felt tight. My momma could be a pain in the ass sometimes, but she definitely cared about me and I loved her very much. Without Alexis I would be lost. 

I was standing by the back corner of the truck, struggling to fight back the sudden wave of emotion the snow chains had brought on, when I heard an odd sound. 

It was a high-pitched screech, and it was fast becoming painfully loud. I looked up, startled. 

I saw several things simultaneously. Nothing was moving in slow motion, the way it does in the movies. Instead, the adrenaline rush seemed to make my brain work much faster, and I was able to absorb in clear detail several things at once. 

Brooke Lynn was standing four cars down from me, staring at me in horror. Her face stood out from a sea of faces, all frozen in the same mask of shock. But of more immediate importance was the dark green van that was skidding, tires locked and squealing against the brakes. It was spinning wildly across the ice of the parking lot, heading straight for the back corner of my truck, and I was standing between them. I didn't even have time to close my eyes. 

Just before I heard the shattering crunch of the van folding around the truck bed, something hit me, hard, but not from the direction I was expecting. My head cracked against the icy blacktop, and I felt something solid and cold pinning me to the ground. I was lying on the pavement behind the black car I'd parked next to. But I didn't have a chance to notice anything else, because the van was still coming. It had curled gratingly around the end of the truck and, still spinning and sliding, about to collide with me again.

A low oath made me aware that someone was with me, and the voice was impossible not to recognize. Two long, white hands shot out protectively in front of me, and the van shuddered to a stop a foot from my face, the delicate hands fitting providentially into a deep dent in the side of the van's body. 

Then her hands moved so fast they blurred. One was suddenly gripping under the body of the van, and something was dragging me, swinging my legs around like a ragdoll's, till they hit the tire of the black car. A groaning metallic thud hurt my ears, and the van settled, glass popping, onto the asphalt — exactly where, a second ago, my legs had been. 

It was absolutely silent for one long second before the screaming began. In the abrupt bedlam, I could hear more than one person shouting my name. But more clearly than all the yelling, I could hear Brooke Lynn's low, frantic voice in my ear. 

"Nessa? Are you alright?" 

"I'm fine, Mary, shit what the fu-" My voice sounded strange. I tried to sit up, and realized she was holding me against the side of his body in an iron grasp. 

"Be careful," she warned as I struggled. "I think you hit your head pretty hard." 

I became aware of a throbbing ache centered above my left ear. "Ow," I said, surprised. 

"That's what I thought." Her voice, amazingly, sounded like she was suppressing laughter. 

"How in the…" I trailed off, trying to clear my head, get my bearings. "How did you get over here so fast?" 

"I was standing right next to you, Nessa," she said, her tone serious again. 

I turned to sit up, and this time she let me, releasing her hold around my waist and sliding as far from me as she could in the limited space. I looked at her concerned, innocent expression and was disoriented again by the force of her gold-colored eyes. What was I asking her? 

And then they found us, a crowd of people with tears streaming down their faces, shouting at each other, shouting at us. 

"Don't move," someone instructed. 

"Get Ariel out of the van!" someone else shouted. 

There was a flurry of activity around us. 

I tried to get up, but Brooke Lynn's cold hand pushed my shoulder down. 

"Just stay put for now." 

"But it's cold," I complained. It surprised me when she chuckled under her breath. There was an edge to the sound.

"You were over there," I suddenly remembered, and her chuckle stopped short. "You were by your car." 

Her expression turned hard. "No, I wasn't." 

"I saw you." All around us was chaos. I could hear the gruffer voices of adults arriving on the scene. But I obstinately held on to our argument; I was right, and she was going to admit it. 

"Nessa, I was standing with you, and I pulled you out of the way." She unleashed the full, devastating power of her eyes on me, as if trying to communicate something crucial. 

"No." I set my jaw. 

The gold in her eyes blazed. "Please, Nessa."

"Why?" I demanded. 

"Trust me," she pleaded, her soft voice overwhelming. I could hear the sirens now.

"Will you promise to explain everything to me later?" 

"Fine," she snapped, abruptly exasperated. 

"Fine," I repeated angrily. 

It took six EMTs and two teachers to shift the van far enough away from us to bring the stretchers in. Brooke Lynn vehemently refused hers, and I tried to do the same, but the traitor told them I'd hit my head and probably had a concussion. I almost died of humiliation when they put on the neck brace. It looked like the entire school was there, watching soberly as they loaded me in the back of the ambulance. Brooke Lynn got to ride in the front. It was maddening. 

To make matters worse, Alexis arrived before they could get me safely away. 

"Vanessa!" she yelled in panic when she recognized me on the stretcher. 

"I'm completely fine momma" I sighed. "There's nothing wrong with me." 

She turned to the closest EMT for a second opinion. I tuned her out to consider the jumble of inexplicable images churning chaotically in my head. When they'd lifted me away from the car, I had seen the deep dent in the black car's bumper — a very distinct dent that fit the contours of Brooke Lynn's thin shoulders… as if she had braced herself against the car with enough force to damage the metal frame… 

And then there were her sisters, looking on from the distance, with expressions that ranged from disapproval to fury but held no hint of concern for their sister's safety. 

I tried to think of a logical solution that could explain what I had just seen — a solution that excluded the assumption that I was insane. 

I felt ridiculous the whole time they were unloading me. What made it worse was that Brooke Lynn simply glided through the hospital doors under her own power. I ground my teeth together.

They put me in the emergency room, a long room with a line of beds separated by pastel-patterned curtains. A nurse put a pressure cuff on my arm and a thermometer under my tongue. Since no one bothered pulling the curtain around to give me some privacy, I decided I wasn't obligated to wear the stupid-looking neck brace anymore. When the nurse walked away, I quickly unfastened the Velcro and threw it under the bed. 

There was another flurry of hospital personnel, another stretcher brought to the bed next to me. I recognized Ariel Versace from my Government class beneath the bloodstained bandages wrapped tightly around her head. Ariel looked a hundred times worse than I felt. But she was staring anxiously at me. 

"Nessa, I'm so sorry!" 

"I'm fine, Ariel — you look like shit, girl, are you ok?" 

As we spoke, nurses began unwinding her soiled bandages, exposing a myriad of shallow slices all over her forehead and left cheek. 

She ignored me. "I thought I was going to kill you! I was going too fast, and I hit the ice wrong…" She winced as one nurse started dabbing at her face. 

"Don't worry about it; you missed me." 

"How did you get out of the way so fast? You were there, and then you were gone…" "Umm… Brooke pulled me out of the way." 

She looked confused."Who?" 

"Brooke Lynn Hytes — she was standing next to me." I'd always been a terrible liar; I didn't sound convincing at all. 

"Hytes? I didn't see her… wow, it was all so fast, I guess. Is she okay?" 

"I think so. She's here somewhere, but they didn't make her use a stretcher." 

I knew I wasn't crazy. What had happened? There was no way to explain away what I'd seen. 

They wheeled me away then, to X-ray my head. I told them there was nothing wrong, and I was right. Not even a concussion. I asked if I could leave, but one nurse named Nina said I had to talk to a doctor first. So I was trapped in the ER, waiting, harassed by Ariel's constant apologies and promises to make it up to me. No matter how many times I tried to convince her I was fine, she continued to torment herself. Finally, I closed my eyes and ignored her. She kept up a remorseful mumbling. 

"Is she sleeping?" a musical voice asked. My eyes flew open. Brooke was standing at the foot of my bed, smirking. I glared at her. It wasn't easy — it would have been more natural to ogle. 

"Hey, Brooke Lynn, I'm really sorry —" Ariel began. 

Brooke lifted a hand to stop her.

"No blood, no foul," she said, flashing her brilliant teeth. She moved to sit on the edge of Ariel's bed, facing me. She smirked again. 

"So, what's the verdict?" she asked me. 

"There's nothing wrong with me at all, but they won't let me go," I complained. "How come you aren't strapped to a gurney like the rest of us?" 

"It's all about who you know," she answered. "But don't worry, I came to spring you." 

Then a pair of high heels echoed down the hall and then a doctor walked around the corner, and my mouth fell open. She was young, she was blonde… and she was more gorgeous than any movie star I'd ever seen. She was pale, though, and tired-looking, with circles under his eyes. From Alexis' description, this had to be Brooke Lynn's mother. She looked at Brooke as if asking a question in silence and then she looked at me amused raising one of her perfect eyebrows

"So, Miss… Vanjie, how are you feeling?" Dr. Hytes said in a remarkably appealing voice, Why did I feel that I had been baptized? The nickname was so cute that I didn't dare to correct her. 

"I'm fine," I said, for the last time, I hoped. 

She walked to the lightboard on the wall over my head, and turned it on. 

"Your X-rays look good," she said. "Does your head hurt? Brooke said you hit it pretty hard." 

"It's fine," I repeated with a sigh, throwing a quick scowl toward Brooke Lynn. 

The doctor's cool fingers probed lightly along my skull. She noticed when I winced. 

"Tender?" she asked. 

"Not really." I'd had worse. 

I heard a chuckle, and looked over to see Brooke Lynn's patronizing smile. My eyes narrowed. 

"Well, your mother is in the waiting room — you can go home with her now. But come back if you feel dizzy or have trouble with your eyesight at all." 

"Can't I go back to school?" I asked, imagining Alexis trying to be attentive. 

"Maybe you should take it easy today." 

I glanced at Brooke Lynn. "Does she get to go to school?" 

"Someone has to spread the good news that we survived," Brooke said smugly. 

"Actually," Dr. Hytes corrected, "most of the school seems to be in the waiting room." 

"Oh no," I moaned, covering my face with my hands. 

Dr. Hytes raised her eyebrows. "Do you want to stay?" 

"No, no!" I insisted, throwing my legs over the side of the bed and hopping down quickly. Too quickly — I staggered, and Dr. Hytes caught me. She looked concerned.

"I'm fine," I assured her again. 

"Take some Tylenol for the pain," she suggested as she steadied me. 

"It doesn't hurt that bad," I insisted. 

"It sounds like you were extremely lucky," Dr. Hytes said, smiling as she signed my chart with a flourish. 

"Lucky Brooke Lynn happened to be standing next to me," I amended with a hard glance at the subject of my statement. 

"Oh, well, yes," Dr. Hytes agreed, suddenly occupied with the papers in front of her. Then she looked away, at Ariel, and walked to the next bed. My intuition flickered; the doctor was in on it. 

"I'm afraid that you'll have to stay with us just a little bit longer," she said to Ariel, and began checking her cuts. 

As soon as the doctor's back was turned, I moved to Brooke Lynn's side. 

"Can I talk to you for a minute?" I hissed under my breath. She took a step back from me, her jaw suddenly clenched. 

"Your mother is waiting for you," she said through her teeth. 

I glanced at Dr. Hytes and Ariel. 

"I'd like to speak with you alone, if you don't mind," I pressed. 

She glared, and then turned her back and strode down the long room. I nearly had to run to keep up. As soon as we turned the corner into a short hallway, she spun around to face me. 

"What do you want?" she asked, sounding annoyed. Her eyes were cold. 

Her unfriendliness intimidated me. My words came out with less severity than I'd intended. "You owe me an explanation," I reminded her. 

"I saved your life — I don't owe you anything." 

I flinched back from the resentment in her voice. "You promised." 

"Nessa, you hit your head, you don't know what you're talking about." Her tone was cutting. 

My temper flared now, and I glared defiantly at her. "There's nothing wrong with my head." 

She glared back. "What do you want from me, Nessa?" 

"I want to know the truth," I said. "I want to know why I'm lying for you." 

"What do you think happened?" she snapped.

It came out in a rush. 

"All I know is that you weren't anywhere near me —Ariel didn't see you, either, so don't tell me I hit my head too hard. That van was going to crush us both — and it didn't, and your hands left dents in the side of it — and you left a dent in the other car, and you're not hurt at all — and the van should have smashed my legs, but you were holding it up…" I could hear how crazy it sounded, and I couldn't continue. I was so mad I could feel the tears coming; I tried to force them back by grinding my teeth together. 

She was staring at me incredulously. But her face was tense, defensive.

"You think I lifted a van off you?" Her tone questioned my sanity, but it only made me more suspicious. It was like a perfectly delivered line by a skilled actress. 

I merely nodded once, jaw tight. 

"Nobody will believe that, you know." Her voice held an edge of derision now. 

My words stuck in my throat. She didn't say it didn't happen, she didn't say I imagined it, she said nobody will believe that. What the hell was happening?

"I'm not going to tell anybody." I said each word slowly, carefully controlling my anger, because she was right, nobody would believe me 

Surprise flitted across her face. "Then why does it matter?" 

"It matters to me," I insisted. "I don't like to lie — so there'd better be a good reason why I'm doing it." 

"Can't you just thank me and get over it?"

"Thank you." I waited, fuming and expectant.

"You're not going to let it go, are you?" 

"No." 

"In that case… I hope you enjoy disappointment." 

We scowled at each other in silence. I was the first to speak, trying to keep myself focused. I was in danger of being distracted by her livid, glorious face. It was like trying to stare down a destroying angel. 

"Why did you even bother?" I asked frigidly. 

She paused, and for a brief moment her stunning face was unexpectedly vulnerable. 

"I don't know," she whispered. 

And then she turned her back on me and walked away. 

I was so angry, it took me a few minutes until I could move. When I could walk, I made my way slowly to the exit at the end of the hallway. 

The waiting room was more unpleasant than I'd feared. It seemed like every face I knew in Prince Rupert was there, staring at me. Alexis rushed to my side; I put up my hands.

"There's nothing wrong with me," I assured her sullenly. I was still aggravated, not in the mood for chitchat. 

"What did the doctor say?" 

"Dr. Hytes saw me, and she said I was fine and I could go home." I sighed. Aidan, Silky and Akeria were all there, beginning to converge on us,"So let's go," I urged. 

Alexis put one arm behind my back, and led me to the glass doors of the exit. I waved sheepishly at my friends, hoping to convey that they didn't need to worry anymore. 

We drove in silence. I was so wrapped up in my thoughts that I barely knew Alexis was there. I was positive that Brooke Lynn's defensive behavior in the hall was a confirmation of the bizarre things I still could hardly believe I'd witnessed. 

When we got to the house, Alexis finally spoke. 

"Um… you'll need to call Anabell." She hung her head, guilty. 

I was appalled. "You told Mom!" 

"Sorry." I slammed the car's door a little harder than necessary on my way out. 

My mom was in hysterics, of course. I had to tell her I felt fine at least thirty times before she would calm down. She begged me to come home — forgetting the fact that home was empty at the moment — but her pleas were easier to resist than I would have thought. I was consumed by the mystery Brooke Lynn presented, and more than a little obsessed by Brooke herself.   
Real smart, Nessa.   
I wasn't as eager to escape Prince Rupert as I should be, as any normal, sane person would be. 

I decided I might as well go to bed early that night. Alexis continued to watch me anxiously, and it was getting on my nerves. I stopped on my way to grab three Tylenol from the bathroom. They did help, and, as the pain eased, I drifted to sleep. 

That was the first night I dreamed of Brooke Lynn Hytes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd love to hear your thoughts, you can find me on Instagram as @brooky_poo_hytes


	4. Invitations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> First love can be the most dangerous ...  
> When Vanessa Mateo moves into Prince Rupert her life takes an exciting and terrifying turn once she meets the mysterious and seductive Brooke Lynn Hytes. Now she is torn between her instincts and the satisfaction of her desires.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all I want to apologize to y'all, I know the chapters are a little bit long, I hope I'm not doing this too tired. Second, this chapter is one of my favorites and one of the favorites of my amazing beta and I really couldn't wait to upload it. I hope you enjoy this as much as I do. I'm so in love with this story and I want to thank you for joining me on this journey.

In my dream it was very dark and I was in an old theater, alone in the middle of the sea of empty seats, just a dim light illuminated the huge stage. When I focused, I could tell that the light seemed to be radiating from Brooke's skin. She was warming up standing next to a bar, I could see each of her soft muscles stretch and flex, it was something ipnotic. The delicate pale pink leotard she wore fitted her skin so perfectly that she might as well have been naked. Her precious golden hair was tied up in a bun, a few unruly hairs escaping and falling down her face like fine strands of gold. The Brooke of my dreams was flushed, probably from physical exertion. A single drop of sweat ran down her neck until it was lost between her breasts, at that moment she looked up and looked at me, her eyes were a shocking greenish blue that immediately reminded me of the color of the most beautiful of the oceans. Troubled, I woke in the middle of the night and couldn't sleep again for what seemed like a very long time.

After that, she was in my dreams nearly every night, but always on the periphery, never within reach. 

The month that followed the accident was uneasy, tense, and, at first, embarrassing. 

To my dismay, I found myself the center of attention for the rest of that week. Ariel was impossible, following me around, obsessed with making amends to me somehow. I tried to convince her what I wanted more than anything else was for her to forget all about it — especially since nothing had actually happened to me — but she remained insistent. She followed me between classes and sat at our now-crowded lunch table.  
Aidan started acting like a jerk to another of the guys at our table, a boy named David which made me worry that I'd gained another unwelcome fan. 

No one seemed concerned about Brooke Lynn, though I explained over and over that she was the hero — how she had pulled me out of the way and had nearly been crushed, too. I tried to be convincing. Silky, Aidan, A’keria, and everyone else always commented that they hadn't even seen her there till the van was pulled away. 

I wondered to myself why no one else had seen her standing so far away, before she was suddenly, impossibly saving my life. With chagrin, I realized the probable cause — no one else was as aware of Brooke Lynn as I always was. No one else watched her the way I did. I felt like a stalker.

Brooke Lynn was never surrounded by crowds of curious bystanders eager for her firsthand account. People avoided her as usual. The Hytes’ sat at the same table as always, not eating, talking only amongst themselves. None of them, especially Brooke, glanced my way anymore. 

When she sat next to me in class, as far from me as the table would allow, she seemed totally unaware of my presence. Only now and then, when her fists would suddenly ball up — skin stretched even whiter over the bones — did I wonder if she wasn't quite as oblivious as she appeared. 

She wished she hadn't pulled me from the path of Ariel's van — there was no other conclusion I could come to. 

I wanted so much to talk to her, and the day after the accident I tried. The last time I'd seen her, outside the ER, we'd both been so furious. I still was angry that she wouldn't trust me with the truth, even though I was keeping my part of the bargain flawlessly. But she had in fact saved my life, no matter how she'd done it. And, overnight, the heat of my anger faded into awed gratitude. 

She was already seated when I got to Biology, looking straight ahead. I sat down, expecting her to turn toward me. She showed no sign that she realized I was there. 

"Hi Brooke" I said pleasantly, to show her I was going to behave myself. 

She turned her head a fraction toward me without meeting my gaze, nodded once, and then looked the other way. I have never felt more pathetic in my whole life. 

And that was the last contact I'd had with her, though she was there, a foot away from me, every day. I watched her sometimes, unable to stop myself— from a distance, though, in the cafeteria or parking lot. I watched as her golden eyes grew perceptibly darker day by day. But in class I gave no more notice that she existed than she showed toward me. I was miserable.  
he dreams continued. 

Despite my outright lies, the tone of my texts alerted my mom to my depression, and she called a few times, worried. I tried to convince her it was just the weather that had me down. 

Aidan, at least, was pleased by the obvious coolness between me and my lab partner. I could see he'd been worried that Brooke Lynn's daring rescue might have impressed me, and he was relieved that it seemed to have the opposite effect. He grew more confident, sitting on the edge of my table to talk before Biology class started, ignoring her as completely as she ignored us. 

I knew that he knew I was a lesbian, I didn't understand why he was still clinging to the idea that he could have something with me. Not that I hated him, in fact I liked him, but I would never be able to see him as anything more than a friend, not to mention that Silky would probably cut my throat and throw me into the sea if I tried.

Silky and I had become quite close. I never thought that in this God-forgotten town I would find my sister from another mister. She was larger than life, always in charge, filling the room with her booming voice. Her enormous personality allowed me to blend in and just enjoy her cheerful chatter. It made me happy to hear her speak.

One afternoon after school she invited me to her house and we stayed on the roof talking about everything and nothing at the same time while we drank a bottle of rum that she had sneaked out of her father's canteen. I think I've never had so much fun in my life. I confessed to her that afternoon all the problems I’d had in Los Angeles and she, as the best of the Judys, listened to me and advised me.

Silky made me aware of another event looming on the horizon — she called the first Tuesday of March to ask my permission to invite Aidan to the girls' choice spring dance in two weeks. 

"Are you sure you don't mind… you weren't planning to ask him?" she persisted when I told her I didn't mind in the least. 

"No, Silks, I'm not going," I assured her. The least I wanted was to go to a stupid dance with a boy. That was not my thing.

"It will be really fun." Her attempt to convince me was halfhearted. I knew that she had a crush on Aidan since elementary school and I would never dare come between her and her man. That is the code of honor of the best kikis.

"You have fun with Aidan" I encouraged. 

The next day, I was surprised that Silky wasn't her usual gushing self in Trig and Spanish. She was silent as she walked by my side between classes, and I was afraid to ask her why. If Aidan had turned her down, I was the last person she would want to tell. 

My fears were strengthened during lunch when Silky sat as far from Aidan and me as possible, chatting animatedly with Akeria. Aidan was unusually quiet. Her indifference hurt me but I knew that our friendship was above any boy, or in my case, any girl.

Aidan was still quiet as he walked me to class, the uncomfortable look on his face a bad sign. But he didn't broach the subject until I was in my seat and he was perched on my desk. As always, I was electrically aware of Brooke Lynn sitting close enough to touch, as distant as if she were merely an invention of my imagination. 

"So," Aidan said, looking at the floor, "Silky asked me to the spring dance." 

"That's great." I made my voice bright and enthusiastic. "You'll have a lot of fun with Big Silks, she's amazing" 

"Well…" He floundered as he examined my smile, clearly not happy with my response. "I told her I had to think about it." 

"Why would you do that?" I let disapproval color my tone, though I was relieved he hadn't given her an absolute no . 

His face was bright red as he looked down again. Pity shook my resolve. 

"I was wondering if… well, if you might be planning to ask me." 

I paused for a moment, hating the wave of guilt that swept through me. But I saw, from the corner of my eye, Brooke Lynn's head tilt reflexively in my direction. 

"Aidan, I think you should tell her yes," I said. 

"Did you already ask someone?" Did Brooke notice how Aidan's eyes flickered in her direction? 

"No," I assured him. "I'm not going to the dance at all."

"Why not?" He demanded. 

I didn't want to tell him anything about Silky's feelings, that was a job exclusively for her, I would never betray her like that, so I quickly made new plans.

"I'm going to Prince George that Saturday," I explained. I needed to get out of town anyway — it was suddenly the perfect time to go. 

"Can't you go some other weekend?" 

"Sorry, no," I said. "So you shouldn't make Silks wait any longer, that's rude as shit" I said while rolling my eyes.

"Yeah, you're right," he mumbled, and turned, dejected, to walk back to his seat. I closed my eyes and pressed my fingers to my temples, trying to push the guilt and sympathy out of my head. Mrs. Visage began talking. I sighed and opened my eyes. 

And Brooke Lynn was staring at me curiously, that same, familiar edge of frustration even more distinct now in her black eyes. 

I stared back, surprised, expecting her to look quickly away. But instead she continued to gaze with probing intensity into my eyes. There was no question of me looking away. My hands started to shake. 

"Miss Hytes?" the teacher called, seeking the answer to a question that I hadn't heard. 

"The Krebs Cycle," Brooke Lynn answered, seeming reluctant as she turned to look at Mrs. Visage. 

I looked down at my book as soon as her eyes released me, trying to find my place. I couldn't believe the rush of emotion pulsing through me — just because she'd happened to look at me for the first time in a half-dozen weeks. I couldn't allow her to have this level of influence over me. It was pathetic. More than pathetic, it was unhealthy. 

I tried so hard not to be aware of her for the rest of the hour, and, since that was impossible, at least not to let her know that I was aware of her. When the bell rang at last, I turned my back to her to gather my things, expecting her to leave immediately as usual. 

"Nessa?" her voice shouldn't have been so familiar to me, as if I'd known the sound of it all my life rather than for just a few short weeks. 

I turned slowly, unwillingly. I didn't want to feel what I knew Iwould feel when I looked at her too-perfect face. My expression was wary when I finally turned to her; her expression was unreadable. She didn't say anything. 

"What? Are you speaking to me again?" I finally asked, an unintentional note of petulance in my voice. 

Her lips twitched, fighting a smile. "No, not really," she admitted. 

I closed my eyes and inhaled slowly through my nose, aware that I was gritting my teeth. She waited. 

"Then what do you want, miss thing?" I asked, keeping my eyes closed; it was easier to talk to her coherently that way.

"I'm sorry." She sounded sincere. "I'm being very rude, I know. But it's better this way, really." Her voice was sweet, like melted caramel.

I opened my eyes. Her face was very serious. 

"I don't know what you mean," I said, my voice guarded. 

"It's better if we're not friends," she explained. "Trust me." 

My eyes narrowed. I'd heard that before. 

"It's too bad you didn't figure that out earlier," I hissed through my teeth. "You could have saved yourself all this regret." 

"Regret?" The word, and my tone, obviously caught her off guard. "Regret for what?" 

"For not just letting that stupid van squish me." I said with all the coldness that I was capable of, trying not to yell at her face.

She was astonished. She stared at me in disbelief. 

When he finally spoke, she almost sounded mad. "You think I regret saving your life?" 

"I know you do," I snapped. 

"You don't know anything." She was definitely mad. 

I turned my head sharply away from her, clenching my jaw against all the wild accusations I wanted to hurl at her. I gathered my books together, then stood and walked to the door. I meant to sweep dramatically out of the room, but of course I caught the toe of my boot on the door jamb and dropped my books. I stood there for a moment, thinking about leaving them. Then I sighed and bent to pick them up. She was there; she'd already stacked them into a pile. She handed them to me, her beautiful face hard. 

"Thank you," I said icily. 

Her eyes narrowed. 

"You're welcome," she retorted. 

I straightened up swiftly, turned away from her again, and stalked off to Gym without looking back. 

It was a relief, as always, to leave. I almost ran to the truck; there were just so many people I wanted to avoid. The truck had suffered only minimal damage in the accident. I'd had to replace the taillights, and if I'd had a real paint job, I would have touched that up. Ariel's parents had to sell their van for parts. 

I almost had a stroke when I rounded the corner and saw a tall, dark figure leaning against the side of my truck. I realized it was just David and I started walking again.

"Hey, David," I called. 

"Hi, Ness" 

"What's up?" I said as I was unlocking the door. I wasn't paying attention to the uncomfortable edge in his voice, so his next words took me by surprise. 

"Uh, I was just wondering… if you would go to the spring dance with me? " His voice broke on the last word. 

"I thought it was girls' choice," I said, too startled to be nice. 

"Well, yeah," he admitted, shamefaced. 

"I'm not going to be in town, David" My voice sounded a little sharp. I had to remember it wasn't his fault that Aidan and Brooke had already used up my quota of patience for the day. 

"Yeah, Aidan said that," he admitted. 

"Then what da —"

He shrugged. "I was hoping you were just letting him down easy." 

Okay, it was completely his fault. 

"Sorry, David," I said, working to hide my irritation. "I really am going out of town." 

"Oh," he said. "Well, maybe next time." 

"I don't think so," I said, trying to make my point very clear.

"I know you think boys aren't your thing, but I know I can make you change your mind" he said, winking at me and turning very quickly in the direction of his car.

Who the hell did he think he was?

Brooke Lynn was walking past the front of my truck, looking straight forward, her lips pressed together. I yanked the door open and jumped inside, slamming it loudly behind me. I revved the engine deafeningly and reversed out into the aisle. Brooke was in her car already, two spaces down, sliding out smoothly in front of me, cutting me off. She stopped there — to wait for her sisters; I could see them walking this way, but still by the cafeteria. I considered taking out the rear of his shiny Volvo, but there were too many witnesses. I looked in my rearview mirror. A line was beginning to form. Directly behind me, David was in his Sentra, waving. I was too aggravated to acknowledge him. 

I looked forward to see Detox and Plastique sliding into the Volvo. In her rearview mirror, Brooke's eyes were on me. She was unquestionably shaking with laughter, as if she'd heard every word David had said before. My foot itched toward the gas pedal… one little bump wouldn't hurt any of them, just that glossy black paint job. I revved the engine. 

But they were all in, and Brooke was speeding away. I drove home slowly, carefully, muttering to myself the whole way. 

When I got home, I decided to make chicken enchiladas for dinner. It was a long process, and it would keep me busy. While I was simmering the onions and chilies, the phone rang. I was almost afraid to answer it, but it might be Alexis or my mom. 

It was Silky, and she was jubilant; Aidan had caught her after school to accept her invitation. I celebrated with her briefly while I stirred. She had to go, she wanted to call A’keria to tell her. I suggested — with casual innocence — that maybe A’keria could ask David. I'd heard he was still available. Silky didn't seem too convinced that this was a good idea, apparently I wasn't the only one who had reservations about David. She said she wished I would go to the dance. I gave her my Prince George excuse. 

After I hung up, I tried to concentrate on dinner — dicing the chicken especially; I didn't want to take another trip to the emergency room. But my head was spinning, trying to analyze every word Brooke Lynn had spoken today. What did she mean, it was better if we weren't friends? 

My stomach twisted as I realized what he must have meant. She must see how absorbed I was by her; she must not want to lead me on… so we couldn't even be friends cuz she knew that I was interested in her and she obviously didn't feel the same way.

Of course she wasn't interested in me, I thought angrily, my eyes stinging — a delayed reaction to the onions. I wasn't interesting and she was. She was also brilliant… and mysterious… and perfect… and beautiful… and possibly able to lift full-sized vans with one hand and most of all… straight.

Well, that was fine. I could leave her alone. I would leave her alone. I would get through my self-imposed sentence here in purgatory, and then hopefully some school in the Southwest, or possibly in a paradise-like beach in Mexico, would offer me work. I focused my thoughts on sunny beaches and palm trees as I finished the enchiladas and put them in the oven. 

Alexis seemed suspicious when she came home and smelled the green peppers. I couldn't blame her — the closest edible Mexican food was probably in southern California . But she was a latin woman, so she was brave enough to take the first bite. She seemed to like it. It was fun to watch as she slowly began trusting me in the kitchen.

"Momma?" I asked when she was almost done. 

"Yeah, Nessa?" She looked at me and I laughed to myself because she had sauce on her cheek.

"Um, I just wanted to let you know that I'm going to Prince George for the day a week from Saturday… if that's okay?" I was almost eighteen years old, but knowing Alexis I would have to ask permission until the day of my death.

"Why?" She sounded surprised, as if he were unable to imagine something that Prince Rupert couldn't offer. 

"Well, I wanted to get few books — the library here is pretty limited — and maybe look at some clothes." I had more money than I was used to having, since, thanks to Alexis, I hadn't had to pay for a car. Not that the truck didn't cost me quite a bit in the gas department. 

"That truck probably doesn't get very good gas mileage," she said, echoing my thoughts. 

"I know, I'll stop in Terrance and New Hazelton and Fort Fraser if I have to." 

"Are you going all by yourself? it's almost eight hours away" She asked, and I couldn't tell if she was suspicious I had a secret girlfriend just worried about car trouble. 

"Yes." 

"Prince George is bigger, and you've never been, you there could get lost," she fretted. 

"Momma ,L.A is five times the size of Prince George and I have Google maps, don't worry about it." 

"Do you want me to come with you?, 

I tried to be crafty as I hid my horror. 

"I really would like to go alone and I don't want you to cancel your appointments for me. You know that work hasn't been very good lately" I reminded her and that seemed to retract her from wanting to accompany me.

"That's very true little bean. Will you be back in time for the dance?" 

Grrr. Only in a town this small would a mother know when the high school dances were. 

"No, I don't like the idea of going with a boy to a dance, you know that would be very uncomfortable for me" She, of all people, should understand that.

She did understand. "Oh, that's right," she realized, "but you have to promise that you will be very careful, you will not talk to strangers and that you will have your phone on all the time."

I nodded fervently. Alexis was the best.

The next morning, when I pulled into the parking lot, I deliberately parked as far as possible from the black Volvo. I didn't want to put myself in the path of too much temptation and end up owing her a new car. Getting out of the cab, I fumbled with my key and it fell into a puddle at my feet. As I bent to get it, a white hand flashed out and grabbed it before I could. I jerked upright. Brooke Lynn was right next to me, leaning casually against my truck. 

"How do you do that?" I asked in amazed irritation. 

"Do what?" She held my key out as she spoke. As I reached for it, she dropped it into my palm. 

"Appear out of thin air." 

"Nessa, it's not my fault if you are exceptionally unobservant." Her voice was quiet as usual — velvet, muted. 

I scowled at her perfect face. Her eyes were light again today, a deep, golden honey color. Then I had to look down, to reassemble my now-tangled thoughts. 

"Why the traffic jam last night?" I demanded, still looking away. "I thought you were supposed to be pretending I don't exist, not irritating me to death." 

"That was for David's sake, not mine. I had to give him his last chance, but he wasted it." she snickered. 

"You…" I gasped. I couldn't think of a bad enough word. It felt like the heat of my anger should physically burn her, but she only seemed more amused. 

"You're so cute when you are angry… and I'm not pretending you don't exist," she continued. 

"So you're trying to irritate me to death? Since Ariel's van didn't do the job?" 

Anger flashed in her tawny eyes. Her glossy lips pressed into a hard line, all signs of humor gone. 

"Nessa, you are utterly absurd," she said, her low voice cold. 

My palms tingled — I wanted so badly to hit something. I was surprised at myself. I was usually a nonviolent person. I turned my back and started to walk away. 

"Wait," she called. I kept walking, sloshing angrily through the rain. But she was next to me, easily keeping pace. Her and her stupid mile-long ballerina legs.

"I'm sorry, that was rude," she said as we walked. I ignored her. "I'm not saying it isn't true," she continued, "but it was rude to say it, anyway." 

"Why won't you leave me alone, Mary?" I grumbled. 

"I wanted to ask you something, but you sidetracked me," she chuckled. She seemed to have recovered her good humor. 

"Do you have a multiple personality disorder?" I asked severely. 

"You're doing it again." She said with a huge smile that reached her beautiful eyes.

I sighed. "Fine then. What do you want to ask?"

"I was wondering if, a week from Saturday — you know, the day of the spring dance —" 

"Are you trying to be funny ?" I interrupted her, wheeling toward her. My face got drenched as I looked up at her expression. 

Her eyes were wickedly amused. "Will you please allow me to finish?" 

I bit my lip and clasped my hands together, interlocking my fingers, so I couldn't do anything rash. 

"I heard you say you were going to Prince George that day, and I was wondering if you wanted a ride." 

That was unexpected. 

"What?" I wasn't sure what she was getting at. 

"Do you want a ride to Prince George?" 

"With who?" I asked, mystified. 

"Myself, obviously." She enunciated every syllable, as if she were talking to someone mentally handicapped. 

I was still stunned. "Why?" 

"Well, I was planning to go there in the next few weeks, and, to be honest, I'm not sure if your truck can make it." 

"My truck works just fine, thank you very much for your concern." I started to walk again, but I was too surprised to maintain the same level of anger. 

"But can your truck make it there on one tank of gas?" She matched my pace again. 

"I don't see how that is any of your business." Stupid, shiny Volvo owner. 

"The wasting of finite resources is everyone's business." 

"Honestly, Brooke Lynn." I felt a thrill go through me as I said her name, and I hated it. "I can't keep up with you. I thought you didn't want to be my friend." 

"I said it would be better if we weren't friends, not that I didn't want to be." 

"Oh, thanks, now that's all cleared up." Heavy sarcasm.  
I realized I had stopped walking again. We were under the shelter of the cafeteria roof now, so I could more easily look at her face, hich certainly didn't help my clarity of thought. 

"It would be more…prudent for you not to be my friend," she explained. "But I'm tired of trying to stay away from you, Nessa" 

Her eyes were gloriously intense as she uttered that last sentence, her voice smoldering. I couldn't remember how to breathe.

"Will you go with me to Prince George?" she asked, still intense. 

I couldn't speak yet, so I just nodded. 

She smiled briefly, and then her face became serious. 

"You really should stay away from me," she warned. "I'll see you in class." 

She turned abruptly and walked back the way we'd come.


	5. Blood type

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> First love can be the most dangerous ...  
> When Vanessa Mateo moves into Prince Rupert her life takes an exciting and terrifying turn once she meets the mysterious and seductive Brooke Lynn Hytes. Now she is torn between her instincts and the satisfaction of her desires.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry for the wait, but finally here is the new chapter. Thank you very much everyone for loving this story and thank you to my wonderful Beta for always supporting me in everything.

I made my way to English in a daze. I didn't even realize when I first walked in that class had already started.

"Thank you for joining us, Miss Mateo" Mr. Kressley said in a disparaging tone.

I flushed and hurried to my seat.

It wasn't till class ended that I realized Aidan wasn't sitting in his usual seat next to me. But he and Silky both met me at the door as usual, so I figured I was totally forgiven . Silks seemed to become more herself as we walked, gaining enthusiasm as she talked about the weather report for this weekend. The rain was supposed to take a minor break, and so maybe the beach trip would be possible. I tried to sound eager, but it was hard; what's the point of going to a beach that was frozen, where you couldn't sunbathe or swim? I didn't get it.

The rest of the morning passed in a blur. It was difficult to believe that I hadn't just imagined what Brooke Lynn had said, and the way her eyes had looked. Maybe it was just a very convincing dream that I'd confused with reality. That seemed more probable than that I really appealed to her on any level. 

So I was impatient and frightened as Silky and I entered the cafeteria. I wanted to see her face, to see if she'd gone back to the cold, indifferent person I'd known for the last several weeks. Or if, by some miracle, I'd really heard what I thought I'd heard this morning. Silky babbled on and on about her dance plans completely unaware of my inattention. 

Disappointment flooded through me as my eyes unerringly focused on her table. The other two Hytes was already there, but she was absent. Had she gone home? I followed the still-babbling Silky through the line, crushed. I'd lost my appetite — I bought nothing but a bottle of lemonade. I just wanted to go sit down and sulk. 

"Blondie is staring at you again," Silks said, finally breaking through my abstraction with her name. "I wonder why the bitch is sitting alone today." 

My head snapped up. I followed her gaze to see Brooke, smiling crookedly, staring at me from an empty table across the cafeteria from where she usually sat. Once she'd caught my eye, she raised one hand and motioned with her index finger for me to join her. As I stared her practically agape, she winked. 

"Does she mean you ?" Silky asked with insulting astonishment in her voice. 

"Maybe she needs help with her Biology homework," I muttered for her benefit. "Um, I'd better go see what she wants." 

I could feel Silky staring after me as I walked away. 

When I reached her table, I stood behind the chair across from her, unsure. 

"Why don't you sit with me today?" She asked, smiling. 

I sat down automatically, watching her with caution. She was still smiling. It was hard to believe that someone so beautiful could be real. I was afraid that this was another of my thirsty dreams and she might disappear in a sudden puff of smoke, and I would wake up. 

She seemed to be waiting for me to say something. 

"This is different," I finally managed. 

"Well…" she paused, and then the rest of the words followed in a rush. "I decided as long as I was going to hell, I might as well do it thoroughly." 

I waited for her to say something that made sense. The seconds ticked by. 

"You know I don't have any fucking idea what do you mean," I eventually pointed out. 

"I know." She smiled again, and then she changed the subject. "I think your friends are angry with me for stealing you." 

"They'll survive." I could feel their stares boring into my back. 

"I may not give you back, though," she said with a wicked glint in her eyes. 

I gulped.

She laughed. "You look worried." 

"No," I said, but, ridiculously, my voice broke.  
"Surprised, actually… what brought all this on?" 

"I told you… I got tired of trying to stay away from you. So I'm giving up." She was still smiling, but her ocher eyes were serious. 

"Giving up?" I repeated in confusion. 

"Yes; giving up trying to be good. I'm just going to do what I want now, and let the chips fall where they may." Her smile faded as she explained, and a hard edge crept into her voice. 

"You lost me again." The breathtaking crooked smile reappeared. 

"I always say too much when I'm talking to you, that's one of the problems." 

"Don't worry, I don't understand any shit of it," I said wryly.

"I'm counting on that." 

"So, in plain English, are we friends now?" 

"Friends…" she mused, dubious. 

"Or not," I muttered. 

She grinned. "Well, we can try, I suppose. But I'm warning you now that I'm not a good friend for you." Behind her smile, the warning was real. 

"You say that a lot," I noted, trying to ignore the sudden trembling in my stomach and keep my voice even. 

"Yes, because you're not listening to me. I'm still waiting for you to believe it. If you're smart, you'll avoid me." 

"I think you've made your opinion on the subject of my intellect clear, too." My eyes narrowed. 

She smiled apologetically. 

"So, as long as I'm being… not smart, we'll try to be friends?" I struggled to sum up the confusing exchange. 

"That sounds about right." 

I looked down at my hands wrapped around the lemonade bottle, not sure what to do now. 

"What are you thinking?" she asked curiously. 

I looked up into her deep gold eyes, became befuddled, and, as usual, blurted out the truth. 

"I'm trying to figure out what you are." 

Her jaw tightened, but she kept her smile in place with some effort. 

"Are you having any luck with that?" she asked in an offhand tone. 

"Not too much," I admitted. 

She chuckled. "What are your theories?" 

I blushed. I had been vacillating during the last month between Bruce Wayne and Peter Parker. There was no way I was going to own up to that. 

"Won't you tell me?" she asked, tilting her head to one side with a shockingly tempting smile. 

I shook my head."its stupid and too embarrassing." 

"That's really frustrating, you know," she complained.

"No," I disagreed quickly, my eyes narrowing, "I can't imagine why that would be frustrating at all — just because someone refuses to tell you what they're thinking, even if all the while they're making cryptic little remarks specifically designed to keep you up at night wondering what they could possibly mean… now, why would that be frustrating?" 

She grimaced. 

"Or better," I continued, the pent-up annoyance flowing freely now, "say that person also did a wide range of bizarre things — from saving your life under impossible circumstances one day to treating you like a pariah the next, and she never explained any of that, either, even after she promised. That, also, would bevery non-frustrating." 

"You've got a bit of a temper, don't you?" 

"It's the latina on my blood" 

We stared at each other, unsmiling. She glanced over my shoulder, and then, unexpectedly, she snickered. 

"What?" 

"Your boyfriend seems to think I'm being unpleasant to you — he's debating whether or not to come break up our fight." She snickered again. 

"I don't know who the fuck you're talking about," I said frostily. "But I'm sure you're wrong, anyway." 

"I'm not. I told you, most people are easy to read." 

"Except me, of course." 

"Yes. Except for you." Her mood shifted suddenly; her eyes turned brooding. "I wonder why that is." 

I had to look away from the intensity of her stare. I concentrated on unscrewing the lid of my lemonade. I took a swig, staring at the table without seeing it. 

"Aren't you hungry?" she asked, distracted. 

"No." I didn't feel like mentioning that my stomach was already full of butterflies."You?" I looked at the empty table in front of her. 

"No, I'm not hungry." I didn't understand her expression — it looked like she was enjoying some private joke. 

Now that I thought about it, I had never seen her eat. Were she and her sisters on some kind of extreme diet to maintain those supermodel bodies? I didn't dare ask.

"Can you do me a favor?" I asked after a second of hesitation. 

She was suddenly wary. "That depends on what you want." 

"It ain'tmuch," I assured her.

She waited, guarded but curious. 

"I just wondered… if you could warn me beforehand the next time you decide to ignore me for my own good. Just so I'm prepared." I looked at the lemonade bottle as I spoke, tracing the circle of the opening with my pinkie finger. 

"That sounds fair." She was pressing her lips together to keep from laughing when I looked up. 

"Thanks." 

"Then can I have one answer in return?" she demanded. 

"One." 

"Tell me one theory." 

Whoops. "Not that one." 

"You didn't specify what I could ask, you just promised one answer," she reminded me. 

"And you've broken promises yourself," I reminded her back. 

"Just one theory — I won't laugh." 

"Yes, you will." I was positive about that. She looked down, and then glanced up at me through her long black lashes, her ocher eyes scorching. 

"Please?" she breathed, leaning toward me. 

I blinked, my mind going blank. Holy baby Jesus, how did she do that? 

"Er, what?" I asked, dazed. 

"Please tell me just one little theory." Her eyes still smoldered at me. 

"Um, well, bitten by a radioactive spider?" Was she a hypnotist, too? Or was I just a hopeless pushover? 

"That's not very creative," she scoffed. 

"I'm sorry, that's all I've got," I said, miffed. 

"You're not even close," she teased. 

"No spiders?" 

"Nope." 

"And no radioactivity?" 

"None."

"Dang," I sighed. 

"Kryptonite doesn't bother me, either," she laughed and a little snore came out.

She had never looked less perfect and more beautiful.

"You're not supposed to laugh, remember?" I said trying to look angry and failing miserably. She was too adorable.

She struggled to compose her face. 

"I'll figure it out eventually," I warned her. 

"I wish you wouldn't try." She was serious again. 

"Because… ?" 

"What if I'm not a superhero? What if I'm the bad guy?" She smiled playfully, but her eyes were impenetrable. 

"Oh," I said, as several things she'd hinted fell suddenly into place. "I see." 

"Do you?" Her face was abruptly severe, as if she were afraid that she'd accidentally said too much. 

"You're dangerous?" I guessed, my pulse quickening as I intuitively realized the truth of my own words. She was dangerous. She'd been trying to tell me that all along. 

She just looked at me, eyes full of some emotion I couldn't comprehend. 

"But not bad," I whispered, shaking my head. "No, I don't believe that you're bad." 

"You're wrong." Her voice was almost inaudible. She looked down, stealing my bottle lid and then spinning it on its side between her long fingers. I stared at her, wondering why I didn't feel afraid. She meant what she was saying — that was obvious. But I just felt anxious, on edge… and, more than anything else, fascinated. The same way I always felt when I was near her. 

The silence lasted until I noticed that the cafeteria was almost empty. I jumped to my feet. "We're going to be late." 

"I'm not going to class today," she said, twirling the lid so fast it was just a blur. 

"Why not?" 

"It's healthy to ditch class now and then." She smiled up at me, but her eyes were still troubled. 

"Well, I'm going," I told her. I had a warning from Alexis and my mom, no nonsense at the new school and I was far too big a coward to risk getting caught. 

She turned her attention back to her makeshift top. "I'll see you later, then." 

I hesitated, torn, but then the first bell sent me hurrying out the door — with a last glance confirming that she hadn't moved a centimeter.

As I half-ran to class, my head was spinning faster than the bottle cap. So few questions had been answered in comparison to how many new questions had been raised. At least the rain had stopped. 

I was lucky; Mrs. Visage wasn't in the room yet when I arrived. I settled quickly into my seat, aware that both Aidan and A'keria were staring at me. Aidan looked resentful; A'keria looked surprised, and slightly awed. 

Mrs. Visage came in the room then, calling the class to order. She was juggling a few small cardboard boxes in her arms. She put them down on Aidan's table, telling him to start passing them around the class. 

"Okay, guys, I want you all to take one piece from each box. The first should be an indicator card," she went on, grabbing a white card with four squares marked on it and displaying it. "The second is a four-pronged applicator..." she held up something that looked like a nearly toothless hair pick “...and the third is a sterile micro-lancet." She held up a small piece of blue plastic and split it open. The barb was invisible from this distance, but my stomach flipped. 

"I'll be coming around with a dropper of water to prepare your cards, so please don't start until I get to you." She began at Aidan's table again, carefully putting one drop of water in each of the four squares. "Then I want you to carefully prick your finger with the lancet…" she grabbed Aidan's hand and jabbed the spike into the tip of Aidan's middle finger. Oh no. Clammy moisture broke out across my forehead. 

"Put a small drop of blood on each of the prongs." She demonstrated,squeezing Aidan's finger till the blood flowed. I swallowed convulsively, my stomach heaving. 

"And then apply it to the card," she finished, holding up the dripping red card for us to see. I closed my eyes, trying to hear through the ringing in my ears. 

"The Red Cross is having a blood drive in Prince Rupert next weekend, so I thought you should all know your blood type." She sounded proud of herself. "Those of you who aren't eighteen yet will need a parent's permission — I have slips at my desk." 

She continued through the room with her water drops. I put my cheek against the cool black tabletop and tried to hold on to my consciousness. All around me I could hear squeals, complaints, and giggles as my classmates skewered their fingers. I breathed slowly in and out through my mouth. 

"Vanessa, are you alright?" Mrs. Visage asked. Her voice was close to my head, and it sounded alarmed. 

"I already know my blood type, Mrs Visage" I said in a weak voice. I was afraid to raise my head. 

"Are you feeling faint?" 

"Yes, ma´am" I muttered, internally kicking myself for not ditching when I had the chance. 

"Can someone take Vanessa to the nurse, please?" she called. I didn't have to look up to know that it would be Aidan who volunteered. 

"Can you walk?" she asked.

"Yes," I whispered.  
Just let me get out of here, I thought, I'll crawl. 

Aidan seemed eager as he put his arm around my waist and pulled my arm over his shoulder. I leaned against him heavily on the way out of the classroom. 

Aidan towed me slowly across campus. When we were around the edge of the cafeteria, out of sight of building four in case Mrs. Visage was watching, I stopped. 

"Just let me sit for a minute, please?" I begged. 

He helped me sit on the edge of the walk. 

“I don't understand how you could get sick with that, don't you have like ten tattoos?” he said in a sarcastic tone

"Don't fuck with me right now Aidan" I warned. I was still so dizzy. I slumped over on my side, putting my cheek against the freezing, damp cement of the sidewalk, closing my eyes. That seemed to help a little. 

"Damn, you're green, Nessa" Aidan said nervously. 

"Nessa?" a different voice called from the distance. 

No! Please let me be imagining that horribly familiar voice. 

"What's wrong, is she hurt?" Her voice was closer now, and she sounded upset. I wasn't imagining it. I squeezed my eyes shut, hoping to die. Or, at the very least, not to throw up. 

Aidan seemed stressed. "I think she's fainted. I don't know what happened, she didn't even stick her finger." 

"Nessa" Brooke's voice was right beside me, relieved now. "Can you hear me?" 

"No," I groaned. "Go away." 

She chuckled. 

"I was taking her to the nurse," Aidan explained in a defensive tone, "but she wouldn't go any farther." 

"I'll take her," Brooke said. I could hear the smile still in her voice. "You can go back to class." 

"No," Aidan protested. "I'm supposed to do it." 

Suddenly the sidewalk disappeared from beneath me. My eyes flew open in shock. Brooke Lynn had scooped me up in her arms, as easily as if I weighed ten pounds instead of a hundred and ten. 

"Put me down!" Please, please let me not vomit on her. She was walking before I was finished talking. 

"Hey, you're going to hurt yourself, let me carry her!" Aidan called, already ten paces behind us. 

Brooke Lynn ignored him. 

"You look awful," she told me, grinning. 

I could feel the delicate white silk blouse under her raincoat, and my face was pressed against her soft... Oh my god.

"Put me back on the sidewalk," I moaned. If I wasn't so dizzy, this situation probably could have been sexy, but the rocking movement of her walk was not helping. 

I was surprised to see how she could carry me so easily. Of course she was much taller than me, but her slim build was not compatible with her strength. Although I had seen her practically stop a car with her hands, it was stupid to surprise me by this.

"So you faint at the sight of blood?" she asked. This seemed to entertain her. 

I didn't answer. I closed my eyes again and fought the nausea with all my strength, clamping my lips together. 

"And not even your own blood," she continued, enjoying herself. 

I don't know how she opened the door while carrying me, but it was suddenly warm, so I knew we were inside. 

The motherly nurse looked up from a novel, astonished, as Brooke Lynn swung me into the room and placed me gently on the crackly paper that covered the brown vinyl mattress on the one cot. Then she moved to stand against the wall as far across the narrow room as possible.

"She's just a little faint," she reassured the startled nurse. "They're blood typing in Biology." 

The nurse nodded sagely. "There's always one." 

She muffled a snicker. 

"Just lie down for a minute, honey; it'll pass." 

"I know," I sighed. The nausea was already fading. 

"Does this happen a lot?" she asked. 

"Sometimes," I admitted. Brooke Lynn coughed to hide another laugh. 

"You can go back to class now," the nurse told her. 

"I'm supposed to stay with her." she said this with such assured authority that — even though she pursed her lips — the nurse didn't argue it further. 

"I'll go get you some ice for your forehead, dear," she said to me, and then bustled out of the room. 

"You were right," I moaned, letting my eyes close. 

"I usually am, but about what in particular this time?" 

"Ditching is healthy." I practiced breathing evenly. 

"You scared me for a minute there," she admitted after a pause. Her tone made it sound like she was confessing a humiliating weakness. "I thought that guy was dragging your dead body off to bury it in the woods"

"Haha, that guy has a name, you know" I still had my eyes closed, but I was feeling more normal every minute. 

"Honestly, I don't care, and also I've seen corpses with better color. I was concerned that I might have to avenge your murder." 

"Poor Aidan. I'll bet he's mad." 

"He absolutely loathes me," Brooke Lynn said cheerfully. 

"You can't know that," I argued, but then I wondered suddenly if she could. 

"I saw his face, I could tell." 

"How did you see me? I thought you were ditching." I was almost fine now, though the queasiness would probably pass faster if I'd eaten something for lunch. On the other hand, maybe it was lucky my stomach was empty. 

"I was in my car, listening to music" Such a normal response it surprised me. 

I heard the door and opened my eyes to see the nurse with a cold compress in her hand. 

"Here you go, dear." She laid it across my forehead. 

"You're looking better," she added. 

"I think I'm fine," I said, sitting up.Just a little ringing in my ears, no spinning. The white walls stayed where they should. 

I could see she was about to make me lie back down, but the door opened just the. 

"We've got another one," she warned. 

I hopped down to free up the cot for the next invalid. 

I handed the compress back to the nurse. "Here, I don't need this." 

And then Aidan staggered through the door, now supporting a sallow-looking another boy in our Biology class. Brooke and I drew back against the wall to give them room. 

The look he gave Brooke confirmed what she had said about loathing. He looked back at me, his eyes glum. 

"You look better," he accused. "It's not bleeding anymore, are you going back to class?" 

"Are you kidding? I'd just have to turn around and come back." 

"Yeah, I guess… So are you going this weekend? To the beach?" While he spoke, he flashed another glare toward Brooke Lynn, who was standing against the cluttered counter, motionless as a sculpture, staring off into space. 

I tried to sound as friendly as possible. "Sure, I said I was in."

"We're meeting at my dad's store, at ten." His eyes flickered to Brooke again, wondering if he was giving out too much information. His body language made it clear that it wasn't an open invitation. 

"I'll be there," I promised. 

"I'll see you in Gym, then," he said, moving uncertainly toward the door. 

"See ya" I replied. He looked at me once more, his round face slightly pouting, and then as he walked slowly through the door, his shoulders slumped. A swell of sympathy washed over me. I pondered seeing his disappointed face again… in Gym. 

"Gym," I groaned. 

"I can take care of that." I hadn't noticed Brooke moving to my side, but she spoke now in my ear. "Go sit down and look sick" she muttered. 

That wasn't a challenge; I was a good actress, and my recent swoon had left a light sheen of sweat on my face. I sat in one of the creaky folding chairs and rested my head against the wall with my eyes closed. Fainting spells always exhausted me. 

I heard Brooke speaking softly.

"Excuse me… Nurse..." 

"Yes?" I hadn't heard her return to her desk. 

"Nessa has Gym next hour, and I don't think she feels well enough. Actually, I was thinking I should take her home now. Do you think you could excuse her from class?" Her voice was like melting honey. I could imagine how much more overwhelming her eyes would be. 

"Do you need to be excused, too Brooke Lynn?" Miss Shuga fluttered. Why couldn't I do that? 

"No, I have Mrs. Edwards, she won't mind." 

"Okay, it's all taken care of. You feel better, Nessa," she called to me. I nodded weakly, hamming it up just a bit. 

"Can you walk, or do you want me to carry you again?" With her back to the nurse, her expression became sarcastic. 

"I'll walk." 

I stood carefully, and I was still fine. She held the door for me, her smile polite but her eyes mocking. I walked out into the cold, fine mist that had just begun to fall. It felt nice — the first time I'd enjoyed the constant moisture falling out of the sky — as it washed my face clean of the sticky perspiration. 

"Thanks," I said as she followed me out. "It's almost worth getting sick to miss Gym." 

"Anytime." She was staring straight forward, squinting into the rain. 

"So are you going? This Saturday, I mean?" I was hoping she would, though it seemed unlikely. I couldn't picture her loading up to carpool with the rest of the kids from school; she didn't belong in the same world. But just hoping that he might gave me the first twinge of enthusiasm I'd felt for the outing. 

"Where are you all going, exactly?" She was still looking ahead, expressionless. 

"Down to Rushbrook Trail, to First Beach ."I studied her face, trying to read it. Her eyes seemed to narrow infinitesimally. 

She glanced down at me from the corner of hee eye, smiling wryly. "I really don't think I was invited." 

I sighed. "I just invited you." 

"Let's you and I not push poor frat guy any further this week. We don't want him to snap." Her eyes danced; she was enjoying the idea more than she should. 

I was preoccupied by the way she'd said you and I. I liked it more than I should. 

We were near the parking lot now. I veered left, toward my truck. 

Something caught my jacket, yanking me back. 

"Where do you think you're going?" she asked, outraged. She was gripping a fistful of my jacket in one hand.

I was confused. "I'm going home." 

"Didn't you hear me promise to take you safely home? Do you think I'm going to let you drive in your condition?" Her voice was still indignant. 

"What condition? And what about my truck?" I complained. 

"I'll have Plastique drop it off after school." She was towing me toward her car now, pulling me by my jacket. It was all I could do to keep from falling backward. She'd probably just drag me along anyway if I did. 

"Let go!" I insisted. She ignored me. I staggered along sideways across the wet sidewalk until we reached the Volvo. Then she finally freed me. I stumbled against the passenger door. 

"You are so pushy!" I grumbled. 

"It's open," was all she responded. She got in the driver's side. 

"I am perfectly capable of driving myself home!" I stood by the car, fuming. It was raining harder now, and I'd never put my hood up, so my hair was dripping down my back. 

She lowered the automatic window and leaned toward me across the seat. "Get in, Nessa" 

I didn't answer. I was mentally calculating my chances of reaching the truck before she could catch me. I had to admit, they weren't good. 

"I'll just drag you back," she threatened, guessing my plan. I tried to maintain what dignity I could as I got into her car. I wasn't very successful — I looked like a half-drowned cat and my boots squeaked. 

"This is completely unnecessary," I said stiffly. 

She didn't answer. She fiddled with the controls, turning the heater up and the music down. As he pulled out of the parking lot, I was preparing to give him the silent treatment — my face in full pout mode — but then I recognized the music playing, and my curiosity got the better of my intentions. 

"Celine Dion?" I asked, surprised. 

"You don't like her?" She sounded surprised, too. 

"Of course" I admitted. "My mom plays a lot of her music around the house, she's one of my favorites." 

"It's one of my favorites, too." She stared out through the rain, lost in thought. 

I listened to the music, relaxing against the light gray leather seat. It was impossible not to respond to the familiar, soothing melody. The rain blurred everything outside the window into gray and green smudges. I began to realize we were driving very fast; the car moved so steadily, so evenly, though, I didn't feel the speed. Only the town flashing by gave it away.

"What is your mother like?" she asked me suddenly. 

I glanced over to see her studying me with curious eyes. 

"She looks a lot like me, but she's prettier," I said. She raised his eyebrows. "When my mothers decided to have me the donor was Alexis's twin brother and I have too much Mateo in me. My mom is even more outgoing than I am, and braver. She's irresponsible and slightly eccentric, and she's a very unpredictable cook. She's my best friend." I stopped. Talking about her was making me depressed. I miss her a lot.

"I doubt that someone can be prettier than you, even if it is your own mom" Her voice was just a whisper. 

Had she really said that or had I imagined it?

She'd stopped the car, and I realized we were at Alexis' house already. The rain was so heavy that I could barely see the house at all. It was like the car was submerged under a river. 

She made a face and changed the subject. 

"So why did your mother marry John?" 

I was surprised she would remember the name; I'd mentioned it just once, almost two months ago. It took me a moment to answer. 

"My mother… she's very young for her age. I think he makes her feel even younger. At any rate, she's crazy about him." I shook my head. The attraction was a mystery to me. 

"Do you approve?" she asked. 

"Does it matter?" I countered. "I want her to be happy… and he is who she wants." 

"That's very generous… I wonder," she mused. 

"What?" 

"Would she extend the same courtesy to you, do you think? No matter who your choice was?" She was suddenly intent, her eyes searching mine. 

"I-I think so," I stuttered. "But she the parent, after all. It's real different." 

"No one too scary then," she teased. 

I grinned in response. "What do you mean by scary? A gangster from the ghetto with multiple piercings and extensive facial tattoos?"

"That's one definition, I suppose." 

"What's your definition?" 

But she ignored my question and asked me another. 

"Do you think that I could be scary?" She raised one perfect eyebrow, and the faint trace of a smile lightened her face. 

I thought for a moment, wondering whether the truth or a lie would go over better. I decided to go with the truth. "Hmmm… I think you could be intimidating, if you wanted to." 

"Are you frightened of me now?" The smile vanished, and her heavenly face was suddenly serious. 

"No." But I answered too quickly. The smile returned. 

"So, now are you going to tell me about your family?" I asked to distract her. "It's got to be a much more interesting story than mine." 

She was instantly cautious. "What do you want to know?" 

"Dr. Hytes adopted you?" I verified. 

"Yes." 

I hesitated for a moment. "What happened to your parents?" 

"They died many years ago." Her tone was matter-of-fact. 

"I'm sorry," I mumbled. 

"I don't really remember them that clearly. Farrah has been my mother for a long time now." 

"And you love her." It wasn't a question. It was obvious in the way she spoke of her. 

"Yes." She smiled. "I couldn't imagine a better mother" 

"You're very lucky." 

"I know I am." 

"And your sisters?" 

She glanced at the clock on the dashboard. 

"My sisters are going to be quite upset if they have to stand in the rain waiting for me." 

"Oh, sorry, I guess you have to go." I didn't want to get out of the car. 

"And you probably want your truck back before Alexis gets home, so you don't have to tell her about the Biology incident." She grinned at me.

"I'm sure she's already heard. There are no secrets in this town" I sighed. 

She laughed, and there was an edge to her laughter. 

"Have fun at the beach… good weather for sunbathing." She glanced out at the sheeting rain. 

"Won't I see you tomorrow?" 

"No. Plastique and I are starting the weekend early." 

"What are you gonna do?" A friend could ask that, right? I hoped the disappointment wasn't too apparent in my voice. 

"We're going to be hiking in the Khutzeymateen...." 

I remembered Alexis had said the Hytes went camping frequently. 

"Oh, well, have fun." I tried to sound enthusiastic. I don't think I fooled her, though. A smile was playing around the edges of her lips. 

"Will you do something for me this weekend?" She turned to look me straight in the face, utilizing the full power of her burning gold eyes. 

I nodded helplessly. 

"Don't be offended, but you seem to be one of those people who just attract accidents like a magnet. So… try not to fall into the ocean or get run over or anything, alright?" She smiled crookedly. 

The helplessness had faded as she spoke. I glared at her. 

"I'll see what I can do, Mary," I snapped as I jumped out into the rain. I slammed the door behind me. 

She was still smiling as she drove away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Looks like Miss Brooke Lynn is about to lose it, LOL. I'd love to hear your thoughts on this, thank you so much for reading ❤


	6. Scary Stories

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> First love can be the most dangerous ...  
> When Vanessa Mateo moves into Prince Rupert her life takes an exciting and terrifying turn once she meets the mysterious and seductive Brooke Lynn Hytes. Now she is torn between her instincts and the satisfaction of her desires.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter took a while to come because I dedicated myself to researching about the history of the firsts nations of Canada. The places as well as the tribes are completely real and they have a rich and fascinating history. Also in this chapter you will find one of the biggest changes. I hope you like it.

As I sat in my room, trying to concentrate on the homework, I was really listening for my truck. I would have thought, even over the pounding rain, I could have heard the engine's roar. But when I went to peek out the curtain again it was suddenly there. 

I wasn't looking forward to Friday, and it more than lived up to my non-expectations. Of course there were the fainting comments. Silky especially seemed to get a kick out of that story. Luckily Aidan had kept his mouth shut, and no one seemed to know about Brooke Lynn's involvement. She did have a lot of questions about lunch, though. 

"So what did Brooke Lynn Hytes want yesterday?" Silky asked in Trig. 

"I don't know," I answered truthfully. "She never really got to the point." 

"The bitch looked pissed off and you did too,, I thought you had a crush on her?" she fished.

"Not at all" I tried to keep my expression blank 

"Uh huh," Silky sounded unconvinced, "I know you girl, you can't fool me, also I've never seen her sit with anyone but her family before. That was weird. Just saying girl..." she said raising her palms and eyebrows at the same time.

"Weird," I agreed. 

Could it be that Brooke Lynn could feel something for me? No, definitely not. That was crazy

The worst part about Friday was that, even though I knew she wasn't going to be there, I still hoped. When I walked into the cafeteria with Silks and A'keria, I couldn't keep from looking athier table where Detox sat completely alone. I couldn't stop the gloom that engulfed me as I realized I didn't know how long I would have to wait before I saw her again. 

At my usual table, everyone was full of our plans for the next day. Aidan was animated again, putting a great deal of trust in the local weatherman who promised sun tomorrow. I'd have to see that before I believed it. But it was warmer today — almost sixty. Maybe the outing wouldn't be completely shit. 

I intercepted a few unfriendly glances from a girl called Scarlet during lunch, which I didn't understand until we were all walking out of the room together. I was right behind her, just a foot from her slick, red hair, and she was evidently unaware of that. 

"…don't know why Nessa" she sneered my name "dosen't just sit with the Hytes from now on." 

I heard her muttering to Silky. I'd never noticed what an unpleasant, nasal voice she had, and I was surprised by the malice in it. I really didn't know her well at all, certainly not well enough for her to dislike me, or so I'd thought.   
"Cut the shit right now, she's my friend and she sits with us," Silky whispered back loyally, but also a bit territorially. I didn't want to hear any more. 

That night at dinner, Alexis seemed enthusiastic about my trip to Rushbrook Trail in the morning. I think she felt guilty for leaving me home alone on the weekends, but she'd spent too many years building her business to break it now. Of course she knew the names of all the kids going, and their parents, and their great-grandparents, too, probably. She seemed to approve. I wondered if she would approve of my plan to ride to Prince George with Brooke Lynn Hytes. Not that I was going to tell her. 

"Momma, do you know a place called Khutzeymateenor something like that?" I asked casually. 

"Yeah — why?" 

I shrugged. 

"Some kids were talking about camping there." 

"No one can camp there" She sounded surprised."Too many bears. Is a reservation for them." 

"Oh," I murmured. "Maybe I got the name wrong."   
Why the hell Brooke was going there?

I meant to sleep in, but an unusual brightness woke me. I opened my eyes to see a clear yellow light streaming through my window. I couldn't believe it. I hurried to the window to check, and sure enough there was the sun. Clouds ringed the horizon, but a large patch of blue was visible in the middle. I lingered by the window as long as I could, afraid that if I left the blue would disappear again. 

The Faminoff's Outfitters store was just north of town. I'd seen the store, but I'd never stopped there. In the parking lot I recognized Aidan's Suburban and Ariel's sentra. As I pulled up next to their vehicles, I could see the group standing around in front of the Suburban. David was there, along with two other boys I had class with. Silky was there, flanked by A'keria and Honey. Three other girls stood with them, including Scarlet. That one gave me a dirty look as I got out of the truck, and she whispered something to Ariel as she shook out her red hair and eyed me scornfully. 

So it was going to be one of those days. At least Silky and A'keria was happy to see me. 

"You came!" Silky called, delighted. Aidan appeared right behind her.

"And I said it would be sunny today, didn't I?" He said excited.

"I told y'all I was coming," I reminded them with a big smile. 

"We was just waiting for you… unless you invited someone," Aidan added. 

"Nope," I lied lightly, hoping I wouldn't get caught in the lie. But also wishing that a miracle would occur, and Brooke would appear. 

Aidan looked satisfied. 

"Will you ride in my car? It's that or Honey's mom's minivan." 

"Sure." He smiled blissfully. 

"You can have shotgun," he promised. I hid my chagrin. It wasn't as simple to make Aidan and Silky happy at the same time. 

The numbers worked out in my favor, though. Honey brought two extra people, and suddenly every seat was necessary. I managed to wedge Silky in between Aidan and me in the front seat of the Suburban. Aidan could show more enthusiasm about it, but at least Silky was glowing happily. 

It was only fifteen miles to Rushbrook trail from Prince Rupert, with gorgeous, dense green forests edging the road most of the way. I was glad I had the window seat. We'd rolled the windows down — the Suburban was a bit claustrophobic with nine people in it — and I tried to absorb as much sunlight as possible. 

I'd been there many times during my summers vacations with Alexis, so the mile-long crescent of First Beach was familiar to me. It was still breathtaking. The water was dark gray, even in the sunlight, white-capped and heaving to the gray, rocky shore. Islands rose out of the steel harbor waters with sheer cliff sides, reaching to uneven summits, and crowned with austere, soaring firs. The beach had only a thin border of actual sand at the water's edge, after which it grew into millions of large, smooth stones that looked uniformly gray from a distance, but close up were every shade a stone could be: terra-cotta, sea green, lavender, blue gray, dull gold. The tide line was strewn with huge driftwood trees, bleached bone white in the salt waves, some piled together against the edge of the forest fringe, some lying solitary, just out of reach of the waves. 

There was a brisk wind coming off the waves, cool and briny. Pelicans floated on the swells while seagulls and a lone eagle wheeled above them. The clouds still circled the sky, threatening to invade at any moment, but for now the sun shone bravely in its halo of blue sky. 

We picked our way down to the beach,Aidan leading the way to a ring of driftwood logs that had obviously been used for parties like ours before. There was a fire circle already in place, filled with black ashes. Aidan and David gathered broken branches of driftwood from the drier piles against the forest edge, and soon had a teepee-shaped construction built atop the old cinders. 

"Have you ever seen a driftwood fire?" Aidan asked me. I was sitting on one of the bone-colored benches; the other girls clustered, gossiping excitedly, on either side of me. Aidan kneeled by the fire, lighting one of the smaller sticks with a cigarette lighter. 

"No," I said as he placed the blazing twig carefully against the teepee. 

"You'll like thisthen, just watch the colors." He lit another small branch and laid it alongside the first. The flames started to lick quickly up the dry wood. 

"It's blue," I said in surprise. 

"The salt does it. Pretty, isn't it?" He lit one more piece, placed it where the fire hadn't yet caught, and then came to sit by me. 

Thankfully, Silky was on his other side. She turned to him and claimed his attention. I watched the strange blue and green flames that reminded me too much of the eye color of the Brooke of my dreams crackle toward the sky. 

After a half hour of chatter, some of the boys wanted to hike to the nearby tidal pools. It was a dilemma. On the one hand, I loved the tide pools. They had fascinated me since I was a child; they were one of the only things I ever looked forward to when I had to come to visit. On the other hand, I'd also fallen into them a lot. Not a big deal when you're seven and with your dad. It reminded me of Brooke's request — that I not fall into the ocean. 

Scarlet was the one who made my decision for me. She didn't want to hike, and she was definitely wearing the wrong shoes for it. What kind of bitch wears heels to came to the beach? Most of the other girls besides A'keria and Silky decided to stay on the beach as well. I waited until Aidan and David had committed to remaining with them before I got up quietly to join the pro-hiking group.

The hike wasn't too long, though I hated to lose the sky in the woods. The green light of the forest was strangely at odds with the adolescent laughter, too murky and ominous to be in harmony with the light banter around me. I had to watch each step I took very carefully, avoiding roots below and branches above, and I soon fell behind. Eventually I broke through the emerald confines of the forest and found the rocky shore again. It was low tide, and a tidal river flowed past us on its way to the sea. Along its pebbled banks, shallow pools that never completely drained were teeming with life. 

I was very cautious not to lean too far over the little ocean ponds. The others were fearless, leaping over the rocks, perching precariously on the edges. I found a very stable-looking rock on the fringe of one of the largest pools and sat there cautiously, spellbound by the natural aquarium below me. The bouquets of brilliant anemones undulated ceaselessly in the invisible current, twisted shells scurried about the edges, obscuring the crabs within them, starfish stuck motionless to the rocks and each other, while one small black eel with white racing stripes wove through the bright green weeds, waiting for the sea to return. I was completely absorbed, except for one small part of my mind that wondered what Brooke Lynn was doing now, and trying to imagine what she would be saying if she were here with me. 

Finally the boys were hungry, and I got up stiffly to follow them back. I tried to keep up better this time through the woods, so naturally I fell a few times. I got some shallow scrapes on my palms, and the knees of my jeans were stained green, but it could have been worse. 

When we got back to First Beach , the group we'd left behind had multiplied. As we got closer we could see the Metis teenagers from the reservation come to socialize. 

The Metis are a community of Aboriginal peoples whose ancestry can be traced back to the mixed marriages of European men, mainly French but also Scottish and First Nations women in the provinces of British Columbia and Western Canada.

The food was already being passed around, and the boys hurried to claim a share while David introduced us as we each entered the driftwood circle. I was the last to arrive, and, as David said my name, I noticed a younger girl sitting on the stones near the fire glance up at me in interest. I sat down next to A'keria, and Silky brought us sandwiches and an array of sodas to choose from, while a girl who looked to be the oldest of the visitors rattled off the names of the seven others with her. All I caught was that one of the girls was named Asia, and the girl who noticed me was named Kameron. 

It was relaxing to sit with A'keria; she was a restful kind of person to be around — she didn't feel the need to fill every silence with chatter. She left me free to think undisturbed while we ate. I was thinking about how disjointedly time seemed to flow in Prince Rupert, passing in a blur at times, with single images standing out more clearly than others,and then, at other times, every second was significant, etched in my mind. I knew exactly what caused the difference, and it disturbed me. 

During lunch the clouds started to advance, slinking across the blue sky, darting in front of the sun momentarily, casting long shadows across the beach, and blackening the waves. As they finished eating, people started to drift away in twos and threes. Some walked down to the edge of the waves, trying to skip rocks across the choppy surface. Others were gathering a second expedition to the tide pools. Silky with Aidan headed up to the one shop in the village. Some of the local kids went with them; others went along on the hike. By the time they all had scattered, I was sitting alone on my driftwood log, and three teenagers from the reservation perched around the circle, including the girl named Kameron and the oldest girl who had acted as spokesperson. 

A few minutes after Kameron sauntered over to take a place by my side. She looked sixteen, maybe seventeen, and had long, glossy red hair pulled back with a rubber band at the nape of her neck. Her skin was beautiful, silky and taner eyes were dark, set deep above the high planes of her cheekbones. She still had just a hint of childish roundness left around her chin. Altogether, a very pretty face. 

However, my positive opinion of her looks was damaged by the first words out of her mouth. 

"You're Vanessa Mateo, aren't you?" It was like the first day of school all over again. 

"Nessa" I sighed. 

"I'm Kameron Michaels" she held her hand out in a friendly gesture. "You bought my mom's truck."

"Oh," I said, relieved, shaking his sleek hand. "You're Eureka's daughter. I probably should remember you." 

"No, I'm always stayed at home with my dad, you would remember my older sisters." 

"Aquaria and Cracker," I suddenly recalled. Alexis and Eureka had thrown us together a lot during my visits, to keep us busy while they gossip and drank wine. We were all too shy to make much progress as friends. 

"Are they here?" I examined the girls at the ocean's edge, wondering if I would recognize them now. 

"No." shook her head. "Aquaria got a contract as a model, and Cracker married a boy that makes stand ups and they both live in NY now." 

"Married. Wow." I was stunned. The twins were only a little over a year older than I was. 

"So how do you like the truck?" She asked. 

"I love it. It runs great." 

"Yeah, but it's really slow," she laughed. "I was so relived when Alexis bought it. My dad wouldn't let me work on building another car when we had a perfectly good vehicle right there." 

"It's not that slow," I objected. 

"Have you tried to go over sixty?" 

"No," I admitted. 

"Good. Don't." She grinned. 

I couldn't help grinning back. "It does great in a collision," I offered in my truck's defense. 

"I don't think a tank could take out that old monster," she agreed with another laugh. 

"So you build cars?" I asked, impressed. 

"When I have free time, and parts.You wouldn't happen to know where I could get my hands on a master cylinder for a 1986 Volkswagen Rabbit?" She added jokingly. She had a pleasant, husky voice. 

"Sorry," I laughed, "I haven't seen any lately, but I'll keep my eyes open for you."

As if I knew what that was. 

She was very easy to talk with. 

She flashed a brilliant smile, looking at me appreciatively in a way I was learning to recognize. I wasn't the only one who noticed. 

Holy shit.

She was totally my type, the typical butch lesbian badass hottie I'd be drooling over in LA, but I couldn't think of her in any other way because a cute blondie had possessed my thoughts and my heart.

"You know Nessa, Kameron?" Scarlet asked — in what I imagined was an insolent tone — from across the fire. 

"We've sort of known each other since I was born," she laughed, smiling at me again. 

"How nice." She didn't sound like she thought it was nice at all, and her pale, fishy eyes narrowed.

"Nessa" she called again, watching my face carefully, "I was just saying to David that it was too bad none of the Hytes could come out today. Didn't anyone think to invite them?" Her expression of concern was unconvincing. 

"You mean Dr. Farra Hytes' family?" the tall, older girl asked before I could respond, much to Scarlet's irritation. She was really closer to a woman than a girl, and her voice was very deep. 

"Yes, do you know them?" I asked condescendingly, turning halfway toward her.

"The Hytes don't come here," she said in a tone that closed the subject, ignoring my question. 

She'd said that the Hytes didn't come here, but her tone had implied something more — that they weren't allowed; they were prohibited. Her manner left a strange impression on me, and I tried to ignore it without success. 

Kameron interrupted my meditation. "So is Prince Rupert driving you insane yet?" 

"Oh, I'd say that's an understatement." I grimaced. She grinned understandingly. 

I was still turning over the brief comment on the Hytes, and I had a sudden inspiration. It was a stupid plan, but I didn't have any better ideas. I hoped that Kameron was as yet inexperienced around girls, so that she wouldn't see through my sure-to-be-pitiful attempts at flirting. 

"Do you want to walk down the beach with me?" I asked,trying to imitate that way Brooke Lynn had of looking up from underneath her eyelashes. It couldn't have nearly the same effect, I was sure, but Kameron jumped up willingly enough. 

As we walked north across the multihued stones toward the driftwood seawall, the clouds finally closed ranks across the sky, causing the sea to darken and the temperature to drop. I shoved my hands deep into the pockets of my jacket. 

"So you're, what, sixteen?" I asked, trying not to look like an idiot as I fluttered my eyelids the way I'd seen girls do on TV. 

"I just turned fifteen," she confessed, flattered. 

"Really? No way, Mary" My face was full of false surprise. "I would have thought you were older." 

"I'm tall for my age," she explained. 

"Do you come up to Prince Rupert much?" I asked archly, as if I was hoping for a yes. I sounded idiotic to myself. I was afraid she would turn on me with disgust and accuse me of my fraud, but she still seemed flattered. 

"Not too much," she admitted with a frown. 

"But when I get my car finished I can go up as much as I want — after I get my license," she amended.

"Who was that other girl? She seemed a little old to be hanging out with us." I purposefully lumped myself in with the youngsters, trying to make it clear that I preferred her. 

"That's Vixen, she's nineteen," she informed me. 

"What was that she was saying about the doctor's family?" I asked innocently. 

"The Hytes? Oh, they're not supposed to come onto the reservation." She looked away, as she confirmed what I'd thought I'd heard in Vixen's voice. 

"Why not?" She glanced back at me, biting her lip. 

"Oops. I'm not supposed to say anything about that." 

"Oh, I won't tell anyone, I'm just curious." I tried to make my smile alluring, wondering if I was laying it on too thick. She smiled back, though, looking allured. Then she lifted one eyebrow and his voice was even huskier than before. 

"Do you like scary stories?" She asked ominously. 

"I love them," I enthused, making an effort to smolder at her. 

Kameron strolled to a nearby driftwood tree that had its roots sticking out like the attenuated legs of a huge, pale spider. She perched lightly on one of the twisted roots while I sat beneath her on the body of the tree. She stared down at the rocks, a smile hovering around the edges of her broad lips. I could see she was going to try to make this good. I focused on keeping the vital interest I felt out of my eyes. 

"Do you know any of our old stories, about where we came from? The Meti, I mean?" She began. 

"Not really," I admitted. 

"Well, there are lots of legends, some of them claiming to date back to the Flood — supposedly, the ancient Ojibwa tied their canoes to the tops of the tallest trees on the mountain to survive like Noah and the ark." She smiled, to show me how little stock he put in the histories. "Another legend claims that we descended from witches and that the ravens and cats are our partners. It's against tribal law to kill them. 

"Then there are the stories about the men eaters" Her voice dropped a little lower. 

"The men eaters?" I asked, not faking my intrigue now. 

"Yes. There are stories of the men eaters as old as the witches legends, and some much more recent. According to legend, my own great-grandmother knew some of them. She was the one who made the treaty that kept them off our land." She rolled her eyes. 

"Your great-mother?" I encouraged. 

"She was a tribal elder. You see, the men eaters are demons, beautiful demons in human form that go from village to village getting into men's beds, seducing them and then murdering them, they also stole babies from their cribs. Witches are wise and powerful women, who were aware of these demons and their dangers, and began to annihilate the man-eaters one by one." 

"And they finished all of them??" 

"Not all of them." 

I stared at her earnestly, hoping to disguise my impatience as admiration. 

"So you see," Kameron continued, "the man eaters are traditionally our enemies. But this pack that came to our territory during my great-mother's time was different. They didn't hunt the way others of their kind did — they weren't supposed to be dangerous to the tribe. So my great-grandmother made a truce with them. If they would promise to stay off our lands, we wouldn't expose them to the pale-faces." She winked at me. 

"If they weren't dangerous, then why… ?" I tried to understand, struggling not to let her see how seriously I was considering her ghost story. 

"There's always a risk for humans to be around the man eaters, even if they're civilized like this clan was. You never know when they might get too hungry to resist." She deliberately worked a thick edge of menace into her tone. 

"What do you mean, 'civilized'?" 

"They claimed that they didn't hunt humans. They supposedly were somehow able to prey on animals instead." 

I tried to keep my voice casual. "So how does it fit in with the Hytes? Are they like the demons your great-grandmother met?" 

"No." She paused dramatically. "They are the same ones." 

She must have thought the expression on my face was fear inspired by her story. She smiled, pleased, and continued. 

"There are more of them now, a new female but the rest are the same. In my great-grandmother's time they already knew of the leader, Farra. She'd been here and gone before your people had even arrived." She was fighting a smile. 

"And what are they?" I finally asked. 

"What are the man eaters?" 

She smiled darkly. 

"Blood drinkers," she replied in a chilling voice. "Your people call them vampires." 

I stared out at the rough surf after he answered, not sure what my face was exposing. 

"You have goose bumps," she laughed delightedly. 

"You're a good storyteller," I complimented her, still staring into the waves. 

"Pretty crazy stuff, though, isn't it? No wonder my mom doesn't want us to talk about it to anyone."

I couldn't control my expression enough to look at her yet. "Don't worry, I won't give you away." 

"I guess I just violated the treaty," she laughed. 

"I'll take it to the grave," I promised, and then I shivered. 

"Seriously, though, don't say anything to Alexis. She was pretty mad at my mom when she heard that some of us weren't going to the hospital since Dr. Hytes started working there." 

"I won't, of course not." 

"So do you think we're a bunch of superstitious natives or what?" She asked in a playful tone, but with a hint of worry. I still hadn't looked away from the ocean. 

I turned and smiled at her as normally as I could. 

"No. I think you're very good at telling scary stories, though. I still have goose bumps, see?" I held up my arm. 

"Cool." She smiled. 

And then the sound of the beach rocks clattering against each other warned us that someone was approaching. Our heads snapped up at the same time to see Aidan and Silky about fifty yards away, walking toward us. 

"There you are, Nessa" Aidan called in relief, waving his arm over his head. 

"Is that your boyfriend?" Kameron asked, alerted by the jealous edge in Aidan's voice. I was surprised it was so obvious. 

"No, definitely not, he's just a friend, he is datin my friend there." I whispered. 

I was tremendously grateful to Kameron, and eager to make her as happy as possible. I winked at her, carefully turning away from Aidan to do so, cuz I don't wanna make a scene. She smiled, elated by my inept flirting. 

"So when I get my license…" she began. 

"You should come see me. We could hang out sometime." I felt guilty as I said this, knowing that I'd used her. But I really did like Kameron. She was someone I could easily be friends with. 

Aidan had reached us now, with Silky still a few paces back. I could see his eyes appraising Kameron, and looking satisfied at her obvious youth. 

"Where have you been?" he asked, though the answer was right in front of him. 

"Kameron was just telling me some local stories," I volunteered. "It was really interesting." 

I smiled at Kameron warmly, and she grinned back. 

"Well," Aidan paused, carefully reassessing the situation as he watched our camaraderie. "We're packing up — it looks like it's going to rain soon."

We all looked up at the glowering sky. It certainly did look like rain. 

"Okay." I jumped up. "I'm coming." 

"It was nice to see you again ," Kameron said, and I could tell she was taunting Aidan just a bit. 

"It really was. Next time Alexis comes down to see Eureka, I'll come, too," I promised. 

Her grin stretched across her face. "That would be cool." 

"And thanks," I added earnestly. 

I pulled up my hood as we tramped across the rocks toward the parking lot. A few drops were beginning to fall, making black spots on the stones where they landed. When we got to the Suburban the others were already loading everything back in. I crawled into the backseat by Akeria and David, announcing that I'd already had my turn in the shotgun position, so I could simply lay my head back on the seat and close my eyes and try very hard not to think.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... what do you think? 😅❤

**Author's Note:**

> I'd love to hear your thoughts, you can find me on Instagram as @brooky_poo_hytes


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